Secret Santa
by ladygris
Summary: As Christmas approaches, a Secret Santa gets loose on Atlantis.  How will one person change an entire community?  And what happens when the team figures out who it is?  Some romance, whump, humor, and team/friendship.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing related to Stargate: Atlantis. If I did, it would still be on the air.

**Author's****Note:** I decided that I again wanted to write a Christmas story this year. However, with NaNoWriMo just days behind me, December 1st came and went without any ideas. This particular idea is courtesy of **theicemenace**, who also beta'd it! This is also an attempt to get away from something so Carson-centric and write more of a team friendship/family type story. It picks up right after "Critical Mass" and contains spoilers for anything leading up to "The Long Goodbye." The first five chapters are complete, and it is being written. There will be a daily posting throughout the holidays. All of that said, enjoy! ~lg

oOo

_Night had finally fallen when a figure slipped onto one of Atlantis's balconies. He looked over the city and shook his head. So much had happened these last few days and the city's inhabitants reeled from the events. The betrayal of one of their own weighed heavy as military and scientist alike eyed their coworkers with suspicion. If Colonel Caldwell could have a Goa'uld in him. . . .In fact, Elizabeth Weir had just said that very thing not twenty minutes ago. Carson Beckett was performing full examinations of every one on the base, and the doctor dreaded finding that another of his colleagues had been compromised. Teyla Emmagan grieved the loss of a woman as close as a grandmother, while Rodney McKay and Radek Zelenka reinstalled the ZPM and made certain no permanent damage had been done. John Sheppard and Ronon Dex sparred now, their anger and frustration making their punches that much harder._

_The figure on the balcony sighed heavily. Too much bad had happened to these people. They needed a bit of kindness. The Earth legends of Christmas, along with the current date, reminded him of his plan. He'd plotted carefully for this time, and he let out a deep breath. Someone needed to let the command staff on this base know exactly what they'd done. Tomorrow, it would begin._

_Smiling, he left the balcony and headed back to his work station._

oOo

_Here __we __are, __gloating __about __the __infighting __among __the __Wraith. __How __are __we __any __different?_ The question floated through Elizabeth Weir's mind as she stepped into her quarters. With a deep sigh, she set aside her tablet and forced herself to not think about the headache this entire incident had created. The IOA would certain be all over this as a way to remove her from command in Atlantis. They'd already given her fits each time something went wrong, their distance not stopping them from trying to interfere with the day to day running of Atlantis. Most of the time, General Landry ran interference for her, but he might not be able to stop them this time. Had the NID not discovered the sabotage, then Atlantis would have been destroyed. The IOA might pretend to care about the lives in the Ancient city, but they really did not want to lose the advantage of all that technology.

But what had this situation driven her to do? Elizabeth drew a hot bath and settled into the water to soak the tension from her muscles. In attempting to save her people, she had crossed a line. She'd authorized Ronon to gain the access codes from Kavanagh by any means necessary. Fortunately for them, Kavanagh fainted when Ronon entered the room, and Laura Cadman found the deletion point. While Elizabeth wanted to believe John's "no harm, no foul" mentality, she couldn't let it go. And she _knew_ Kavanagh wouldn't let it go.

Exhausted from the chaos of this day—not to mention the stressful weeks before that—Elizabeth climbed from the tub and prepared for bed. For once, she decided to ignore the reports waiting for her perusal, the missions on the schedule for the next several days, and the pressure of leading this particular group of people. She had no doubt that, once he was allowed off world again, Sheppard would get his team into and out of scrapes, Lorne would rescue the wayward group when necessary, Carson would patch them up, and she'd be left to write the report. Tonight, she stared at the ceiling as she tried to rest and put the weight of the day behind her.

oOo

John Sheppard didn't believe in karma or any other religious mumbo-jumbo. It was one reason why he and Rodney got along so well. He'd been raised going to church right up until his mother left, and then any and all church activities had ceased. From that time on, he decided that, if there was a God Who cared about him, His people sure didn't show it.

Pushing aside the bitter thoughts, Sheppard wandered out of the sparring room on rubbery legs. He often felt this way after a sparring session with either Ronon or Teyla, both Pegasus natives able to kick his behind to Earth and back without breaking a sweat. But tonight's sparring had more behind it than just the need for exercise. Ronon was irritated that he hadn't got the chance to take his frustration out on Kavanagh, and Sheppard hated the thought that Caldwell had been infected with a Goa'uld. If Caldwell, the commander of one of Earth's highly classified spaceships, could have a snake in his head, then anyone on Atlantis could have a snake. He'd already undergone a complete physical from Carson, the first thing he'd done after leaving Elizabeth in her office. It had been years since he'd had the exam done to that extent, Carson obviously taking the time to get the military personnel caught up on their medical checks in addition to certifying them Goa'uld-free. Rodney would find it humiliating, but it was just a fact of life for Sheppard.

Refusing to think about Carson's apologetic expression when he first arrived in the infirmary or the doctor's matter-of-fact manner during the exam, Sheppard entered his quarters and went directly to a hot shower. As far as days went, this one—and the one before it—pretty much sucked. He'd been all set to catch up on paperwork before Elizabeth condemned his office when they received word about the bomb in Atlantis. While vague, the threat couldn't be ignored. Instead of sitting behind his desk filling out requisition forms, he'd wandered the city looking for an elusive bomb. Then, he wound up having to attack a superior officer just for the sake of rescuing said superior officer. If his time calculations were right, Caldwell should be free of the Goa'uld and safely ensconced in the _Daedalus_ infirmary by now.

This entire thing would have consequences. John turned off the water and dried as he thought about the long-term effects of this incident. Elizabeth couldn't trust any of them without a complete examination, hence why Sheppard made it a priority to stop in to the infirmary right away. He'd also encouraged Ronon to get his check done, knowing the big Satedan would understand as well. In fact, so would Teyla, and Carson would be discreet about the entire thing. Rodney would give all of them fits over the necessity of the physical, but he'd eventually get the bigger picture.

What was the bigger picture? John dropped into his bed. He was exhausted and knew anything he decided tonight would be skewed by that. He closed his eyes and, in the manner of any military man, went to sleep and left the rest of the decisions until the next day.

oOo

It was past midnight before Carson Beckett left the infirmary. His head ached from too much coffee and not enough sleep, and he wanted nothing more than a quick snack, an even quicker shower, and bed. Not necessarily in that order. Laura had come by to talk to him, and they'd spent a few pleasant moments while he'd walked her back to her quarters. He'd seen the discomfort on Rodney's face when the physicist came across them, but Carson hadn't said anything to put the physicist at ease. He and Laura had made the decision to go their separate ways, and she was transferring to the _Daedalus_ effective immediately.

Carson pinched the bridge of his nose to ward off his headache as he trudged along. He'd been occupied since the discovery of Caldwell's symbiote, first with the extraction and then with several of the command staff wanting complete physicals. Carson had obliged Elizabeth and then agreed to do the exams, understanding her needs. But Laura's visit had put a stop to that for a few moments. When Rodney found them laughing, it had been because she'd told him something that her young niece had done. Children were wonderful, and Carson eventually wanted a pair or six. Laura, on the other hand, was military and saw her life as full with just the Marine Corp and maybe a romance. It was that disconnect that had eventually led to her requesting a transfer back to Earth. Just prior to the _Daedalus_'s departure, there had been a brief reconciliation between them born more of stress and the residual relief of finding Sheppard's team alive and well. But that had flickered out quicker than he'd expected.

Movement in one of the sparring rooms caught his attention, and Carson stopped walking. Teyla stood inside, idly twirling one of her Bantos rods as she stared at a spot on the floor. The events of the last two days, while traumatic for others, had been heartbreaking for Teyla. She had lost the remaining member of her family when Charin died. Och, he knew Charin wasn't her biological relative. But, in societies as ravaged by the Wraith as Teyla's, it was difficult to form those attachments with others. Once made, however, those friends became a lifeline. Carson had struggled with Charin's death, but recent events had pushed it from his mind for a time. Now, he was suddenly back in the infirmary, sighing as he heard the heart monitor flatline and knowing that, according to Charin's wishes, he could do nothing else. Seeing Teyla cry silently as the old woman passed from life had nearly broken his heart.

"Teyla?" Carson stepped into the sparring room. When she didn't respond, he moved forward. "Teyla, love, wha' is it?" _Dumb __question,_ he thought.

She turned. "Dr. Beckett. You should rest."

"Aye," he admitted ruefully. "So should you."

"I. . . ." She glanced away and shifted nervously as her voice broke. "I needed some time."

"I understand." Carson moved to one of the benches in the room, gently tugging Teyla along with him. He settled onto the bench as she stowed her Bantos rods in her bag. Deciding to wait for her, he leaned back against the wall of the city and let out a deep breath. Today had been longer than any he remembered in recent history—recent history being the last two weeks. He was sad to say that his life consisted of cat naps stolen in his office between long periods of waiting. The chance to take an entire day to recover simply did not present itself.

Teyla dropped onto the bench next to him. "I wanted to thank you." She glanced over, her eyes filling with tears although she didn't let them fall.

Carson smiled, knowing exactly what she meant. "You don't have to thank me for anything."

"I believe I do." She met his eyes. "To see you at the ring ceremony today—not to mention your trip to the mainland and your care of Charin—means more to me than you can imagine. I knew I was not alone."

Carson nodded. "You're welcome, love." His eyes drifted shut, and he sat up before he fell asleep in place. "I should let you get on with your evening." Pushing himself to his feet, he was surprised when Teyla also rose. She fell into step with him, their path turning toward crew quarters with little fanfare. His door came into view before hers, and she stopped next to it.

"Carson, if you need anything. . . ."

"I'll be fine," he said with a smile. "Some sleep is just what the doctor ordered."

"Very well." She returned the smile. "Do not hesitate to call me if you need anything."

"The same goes for you, Teyla." He met her eyes. "Even if it's just to talk. I'll listen."

"I believe you will." She waved as she walked away, and Carson entered his quarters with a deep sigh. Losing a patient was never easy, but losing one like Charin wasn't as heart wrenching as losing one with a full life ahead of him or her. Charin had lived for years in the shadow of the Wraith, and she was now free. He knew Teyla viewed it like that, and he envied her slightly for her peaceful acceptance of Charin's passing.

Too tired to continue these thoughts, Carson kicked off his shoes and climbed into bed. The shower could wait until morning.

oOo

"Rodney, we've been over this section of coding before." Radek Zelenka's grating voice penetrated McKay's focus. "It is fine."

"Yeah, so you think." Rodney's eyes scanned the lines of code, finding nothing wrong. "Huh."

"Told you." Zelenka's low comment irritated him.

"Don't you have somewhere else to be?"

"Yes!" Zelenka's sharp tone made Rodney look up. The other scientist's hair stood on end, looking as if he'd just touched an electrostatic generator or stuck his finger in a light socket. "I am tired! I have been down here trying to locate imaginary glitches in the computer code for three hours longer than I should have been. Now, I do not know what you do when you have had no sleep, but I tend to make mistakes. And mistakes blow people up!"

Rodney blinked at the Czech's exhausted tirade. Even Zelenka's words were wandering, a sure sign he'd been pushed past his limits. Rodney waved a hand. "Fine. Get some sleep if you need it. I, however, have enough coffee to keep me going. . . . ." He frowned at the empty coffee cup next to him. "Huh."

Zelenka muttered in Czech as he gathered his personal belongings and headed for the door. Rodney continued to stare at the empty coffee cup and then rose to go get a refill before remembering that he couldn't get the refill. He was down to rationing his last bag of Sumatra coffee beans because of a screw up on the requisition form he'd filled out. Certainly a pencil-pusher could figure out how important coffee was to his continued survival.

"Never mind," he muttered. Deciding that Zelenka might have had a good idea about sleep—though he'd never tell the other man that—Rodney saved his research. Radek was right. He was searching for phantoms, more than a little bugged by the fact that Cadman, of all people, had found the deletion point. Now, he trudged out of his lab and headed for his quarters. A hot bath. . . .That's what he needed. He'd have an "Archimedes" moment and be back in the lab for the remainder of this night. Who needed sleep, anyway? He could sleep after he'd exhausted his next great discovery.

In his quarters, Rodney happily ran the bubble bath and slipped his tablet into the waterproof casing he'd ordered just for this occasion. He leaned back and allowed the hot water to cover his shoulders. Sometime later, he woke to cold water and a sore neck from sleeping at an awkward angle. Too tired to work, he toweled off his body and fell into his prescription mattress, peacefully sleeping away the rest of the night.

oOo

Ronon was pissed. He stalked into his quarters and paced the confined area. Before coming to Atlantis, he might have gone hunting as a way to relieve the lingering anger, but he had no such option here. Oh, he'd done a bit of night prowling, playing with new Marines as they went about their patrols. But even that wouldn't satisfy the rage inside tonight.

How was he supposed to fight something he couldn't see? Seeing Caldwell's eyes glow had bothered him more than a little, and Ronon hadn't known how to react to the changing voice. Well, he hadn't known the _appropriate_ way to react. He'd simply grabbed the colonel and slammed him into the wall, loving how satisfying it felt to bloody the other man's lip. Now, Caldwell slept in his ship's infirmary, no longer the enemy. Ronon had been there to see the Goa'uld symbiote materialize out of nowhere. He'd taken great pleasure in seeing the thing writhe about in the fluid that kept it alive. It wasn't for Earth's protocols in dealing with the creatures, he would have loved to grab it and break it in two.

Flopping onto his bed, Ronon got comfortable. There was really nothing else he could do for the rest of the day. He closed his eyes and, through years of long practice, went to sleep.

oOo

Teyla gained her quarters only a few moments after leaving Carson at his. The doctor's face was pale, his eyes incredibly blue in spite of the dark circles beneath them. She appreciated his gentle care while Charin had suffered. Seeing the old woman die had hurt more than anything Teyla thought possible, but she also understood. Charin's journey had begun, and Teyla would pick up the pieces, as Elizabeth would say. Having Carson's somewhat apprehensive face in the background as he stubbornly refused to leave her meant more than she could express. She was not angry at John or Rodney. They had needed to figure out how to keep the ZPM from overloading.

Now, on this second night without Charin, she sat on the edge of her bed and simply stared. She had prepared carefully for the ring ceremony and had performed better than she'd thought possible. With the threat of the ZPM's overload averted and Charin laid to rest, Teyla really had nothing with which to occupy her mind. Memories of her life with Charin played through her head, and she reached for a pillow as she cried. Sometimes, being alone meant more pain than being with someone.

But who would she call? John was likely exhausted by the day's events, as was Rodney. Elizabeth would be working furiously to keep the IOA from pouncing on this latest "failure," and Teyla hoped the city's leader had taken some time to rest. Ronon would understand, but he would want to spar or some other thing to help her relieve her grief. Teyla appreciated the physical outlet for grief, but sometimes, a woman simply wanted to be hugged. Rodney didn't see the need for comfort, choosing to bury himself in his work until he'd coped. And Carson was sleeping. She'd seen the way the doctor had nearly fallen asleep in the sparring room and had been seconds away from waking him when he roused himself. He pushed himself just as hard as everyone else on this base and often forgot to take time to care for his own health. Teyla was loathe to interrupt any of them in spite of her grief. So, she cried alone.

Once the tears had passed, Teyla rose and washed her face. Changing into her nighttime apparel, she slipped under the covers of her bed and stared out the window. The moon shone down on Atlantis, and Teyla smiled. Charin lived on somewhere. And Teyla would never forget her. But the time for grief had passed, and she must find a way to press forward in her life.

Sometime after that realization, Teyla drifted to sleep. Atlantis's command staff slept peacefully through the night, each one surprised when they woke the next morning refreshed and somewhat ready to face the next day.

~TBC


	2. Chapter 2

_Early morning was the best time to do something like this. He wandered through the halls, carrying several packages and scanning the report on his tablet. In truth, the tablet was something of a ruse, making certain no one interrupted him. He'd wrapped the package brightly, ensuring that it would be noticed when its recipient entered her office. But he had put the package into another box, some place out of sight where people wouldn't ask questions. After all, he was seen carrying various packages and such all the time. The _Daedalus's _short stay on the pier had resulted in several departments needing extra supplies, and Atlantis had been happy to oblige._

_The office was empty, and the night shift tired as they waited impatiently for the day crew to appear. He greeted them cheerfully, slipped into Dr. Weir's office, and set the tablet with the report on the desk. Taking a moment to put the box in place, he smiled at the not-so-perfect wrapping and left the room. He wished he could be around to see her expression when she found it, but he supposed that was the price one paid for being Atlantis's secret Santa._

oOo

Sheppard had actually slept peacefully the night before, likely the result of being so exhausted he couldn't see straight. Now, as Hermiod beamed him aboard the _Daedalus_, he straightened his shoulders and stepped smartly down the corridors. He'd arrived on duty that morning and had been told that Colonel Caldwell wanted to speak with him. He and the commander of the _Daedalus_ had clashed many times, and Sheppard now understood why. Being a host to a Goa'uld was something he didn't want to even imagine.

The infirmary was much smaller than Atlantis's infirmary, but it was just as orderly. A set of screens had been set up to one end of the room, and Sheppard headed that way. He heard Caldwell's voice coming from behind the screens, clearly giving Marks some final instructions for the ride home. Until he was cleared of his involvement with the entire incident, Caldwell would remain confined to either the infirmary or his quarters. Those were the rules even if he'd been an unwilling participant. The IOA would likely want to mine his memories of his time as a Goa'uld and learn what the Trust wanted.

Clearing his throat, Sheppard waited until Marks motioned him in, and then he met Caldwell's eyes. "You wanted to see me, Sir."

Caldwell gave Marks a nod, and the other man slipped out of the cubicle. "Yes, Colonel. At ease."

Sheppard relaxed immediately.

Caldwell pushed himself up in the bed, wincing slightly. "These mattresses aren't the most comfortable, are they?" When Sheppard didn't say anything, he sighed. "Look, Colonel, I wanted to simply say thank you for what you did yesterday. If it wasn't for you figuring out what had happened. . . ."

"But we did figure it out," Sheppard interrupted. "For what it's worth, I'm glad you're okay."

"Me, too." Caldwell shook his head. "I'll forever be grateful to Hermiod for beaming that thing out of my head, but he left me with quite the migraine."

"I can imagine." Sheppard shifted on his feet. "Listen, Colonel, you should know that we don't hold you responsible for what you did."

Caldwell waved a hand at his words. "Just keep watch over the city, Sheppard. You're doing a great job here, and, no matter what I may have said in the past, you belong here."

"Yes, Sir."

"Now get out of here and let me sleep." The words were so like the gruff ship's commander that Sheppard smiled.

"Yes, Sir." He turned to go.

"And Sheppard?"

"Yeah?"

"If I don't see you before then, Merry Christmas." Caldwell never opened his eyes.

Sheppard left the _Daedalus_ with his frown firmly in place. He'd actually forgotten what time of year it was. Granted, being taken hostage by Ford and his enzyme-addicted men, getting stuck in the Ancient sanctuary that made time move faster than it actually did, and fighting to keep the ZPM from overloading left his dates all messed up. He still hadn't adjusted to the idea that it was December, not June! Back on Earth, it might have been easier to handle as the seasons would have changed. But Atlantis sat near the equator of this world. There were only two seasons: tropical and stormy.

Thankful Caldwell would be okay, and somewhat thankful the encounter was over, Sheppard went about his day. He had paperwork to get done, something he planned to remedy that today as he had a mission tomorrow. And he knew Elizabeth would want an update on new security protocols that would make something like this emergency less likely to happen. Sheppard's analytical mind went to work on the problem, and he didn't think about Caldwell's words until later that afternoon, when Lorne appeared in the gate room. Even then, it was only fleeting and didn't distract him from his work.

oOo

Carson stood outside some guest quarters on the _Daedalus_ and raised his hand to knock. The door opened a moment later, and Laura stared up at him. "Carson!"

He smiled at her. "May I come in for a moment?"

She stepped back, letting him into the quarters that would likely be hers from now on. Rumor had it that she'd be assigned to the _Daedalus_, and Carson genuinely wished her well. Looking at her now, he still found her incredibly attractive, but whatever force had been behind their relationship was gone. She offered a rueful grin. "Carson, for what it's worth, I really did want us to work out."

"Aye, I know you did." He met her eyes. "I came to see you off an' let you know you can call me anytime. If you need anything."

"Thanks. I appreciate it." She looked down at her hands and then glanced up through her lashes. "I suppose taking over McKay's body to kiss you wasn't the best first move I could have made, was it?"

He actually chuckled at that. "No, I don't suppose so."

She stood there awkwardly, and he hated that he didn't know what to say to her. Finally, she shrugged. "Well, live and learn. Next time I get trapped in some guy's head, I'll know better than to do that."

"Next time?" He blinked. "I hope ye don't make it a habit!"

"Yeah, but I learned some valuable things this time." Laura's grin told him he didn't really want to hear more than that. Carson had no doubt that she'd learned about some of McKay's more charming qualities and wasn't certain he could handle knowing _that_ much about his friend.

"Right." He motioned to the door. "I should let you get settled."

"Carson?" Her voice and hand on his arm stopped him. When she moved toward him, he was concerned that she would kiss him. It was a goodbye kiss that had convinced her to stay last time, and he did not want to go through that again. Not that Laura had been anything other than mature about the entire situation. But they had both agreed just the day before that they weren't suited for one another. Instead, she planted a soft kiss on his cheek and smiled at him. "I hope you find someone who can make you happy."

"Aye," he agreed. "An' you as well."

Nothing more was said as he left her quarters and headed for Atlantis's infirmary. He'd been on hand the previous evening when Hermiod removed the symbiote, but he knew that _Daedalus's_ doctor was more than capable of seeing to Caldwell's health. Now he sought the quiet of his office and dropped behind his desk.

He would miss Laura Cadman as a friend. Having her around meant his life was never boring. But he was relieved the goodbyes were over and she was on her way. Yes, he had regrets about his life, but his desires for his future would never be a regret. That he and Laura had expected different things didn't bother him, either. It had been fun while it lasted, and he would miss that fun.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, he stood to make coffee in the small coffee pot he'd brought from Earth on his last visit. As the rich aroma filled the room, he sorted the paperwork on his desk and started organizing his day. He had physicals to do and reports to fill out. He could work out his personal issues later.

oOo

Elizabeth's morning did not start out smoothly. First of all, she hit the snooze button on her alarm and slept through the next hour of alarms. She hadn't realize how exhausted she really was until she woke face down in bed, her hair in a mess around her face, and her alarm blaring at her that she was now late for work. Turning it off, she reached for her tablet and emailed all senior staff, canceling the morning briefing. Then, she dropped her face back into her pillow and simply closed her eyes.

Realizing she wouldn't go back to sleep, Elizabeth pushed out of bed a few moments later and prepared for the day. Combing her hair into a semblance of order didn't seem to be an option, so she was forced to stick it into a messy bun. It wasn't her best look, but she could handle it for a day.

Feeling incredibly out of place, Elizabeth strode through the control room as if she'd just come from a meeting and not her quarters. Her stop into the mess hall for breakfast hadn't been the most productive, and she came away with stale coffee and the last blueberry muffin. At least _that_ had gone her way.

A package sat on her desk. Elizabeth frowned as she approached the office, the previous day's events too fresh for her to simply accept that someone had left her a gift. The red wrapping paper had little Santas all over it, their white beards bright against the background. Whoever had wrapped it was clearly not an expert as it had more tape than necessary and was buckled in places. A white bow had been attached to one end. Concerned that this might be the beginning of a nightmare, Elizabeth carefully picked it up and felt for wires or other hazards.

It felt like pottery.

Blinking at that, she cautiously undid each individual piece of tape. _You're __too __paranoid,_ she told herself. But, after the previous day, she couldn't blame anyone for being paranoid.

The wrapping paper fell away to reveal a beautiful pitcher. The main body curved out elegantly, the sides completely smooth. A thin neck led to a pour spout, and the handle curled gracefully away from the sides. It was glazed in dark plum enamel, crackled so that the lighter lavender color of the clay could be seen in intricate lines that ran around the entire thing. It was coated with a shiny layer that sealed the entire thing up and made it safe for use. A smile touched Elizabeth's face as she turned the pitcher round and round to examine it closely. As far as she could find, the only imperfections were those intended by the artist. A quick glance at the bottom didn't reveal initials, leaving her guessing who the artist really was.

Setting the pitcher down, she moved to the door of her office. "Chuck?"

The gate tech looked up and stepped over to her. "Yes?"

"Did you see anyone come into my office this morning?"

He shook his head. "No. Is there a problem?"

Elizabeth smiled. "Uh. . .no. Thank you."

Leaving the confused tech to watch her head back into her office, Elizabeth cleared a spot on the shelf behind her desk to set the pitcher in a prominent position. A little rearranging, and it looked as if it belonged. Stepping back to admire it, she missed the footsteps approaching her door.

"Dr. Weir?" Major Lorne's voice startled her, and she whirled.

"I'm sorry, Major. I didn't hear you." Motioning him into the room, she began gathering the discarded wrapping paper. "What can I do for you?"

He eyed her. "Ah. . .I came to ask about Christmas, but it looks like you've already been given a gift."

"Yes." Elizabeth glanced at the pitcher. "What about Christmas?"

"Are we planning any sort of base-wide party?" Lorne shrugged. "I asked because it would be a good morale booster, and I'm willing to organize it."

Elizabeth smiled at him, thinking that a morale booster would be a good thing after recent events. "Major, I don't know how easy it'll be to have Christmas in Pegasus, but I think it's a great idea."

"Thank you, Ma'am." He glanced at the pitcher. "And it's beautiful."

"Yes, it is." Elizabeth grinned as the major went his way. Could he have had something to do with the gift? If not, then who? John had once given her a birthday gift, so it was conceivable he'd asked one of the Athosians to make her a Christmas present. Looking back at the pitcher, she decided it looked nothing like the small urn that had held the remains of her alternate self. It was a from a completely different world.

Her day suddenly looking a bit brighter, Elizabeth settled at her desk and began her report to the IOA and Stargate Command.

oOo

"Dr. Beckett?" Teyla's soft voice broke the stillness in his office and brought his head up. He blinked, having clearly been absorbed in his work, and she almost regretted interrupting. When she'd come to the infirmary, she'd expected to find him working at one of the stations there, not secluded and clearing his desk of paperwork.

Now, he met her eyes. "Come in, Teyla. What can I do for you?"

She hesitated at the door. "You said I could talk. . .if I needed to?"

"Yes, of course." He pushed away from his desk and motioned to the couch he'd added to the room. "What's on your mind?"

Teyla moved into the office and perched on the edge of the couch. "I am just. . . ." She took a deep breath. "After Charin's ceremony yesterday, I am not. . . ."

"Aye," Carson agreed. He smiled and held up the half-full pot of coffee, silently asking if she wanted a cup. When she shook her head, he filled his own mug and added just a touch of sugar. Joining her on the couch, he took a long sip. "When my father passed away, I remember feelin' lost for about a week."

"How did he. . .?" Teyla watched his face closely, not wanting to bring up a painful subject. Instead of seeing fresh grief, she saw something tinged with regret.

"He had cancer." Carson met her eyes. "It's a disease that basically causes the body's cells to mutate and grow tumors in various parts of the body. In my father's case, he had lung cancer. It wasnae an easy fight, an' he didn't give up easily. But, in the end. . . ."

"I am sorry." Teyla reached out to touch his arm. "I should not have asked."

"Och, no, love! I don't mind sharin' at all." His smile lit his eyes, and she wondered why she had never really paid attention to how they lit up his face. "My da's been gone for nearly twenty years. In fact, he's why I became a doctor in the first place."

"Because of his illness?"

"Because he was also a doctor."

"I see." Teyla understood that. Many of the people from Earth had spoken of their families, and she had struggled to understand how children could go into careers so different from those of their parents. Athosians tended to follow family traditions. If the father was a farmer, then the son became a farmer. "And he inspired you to continue even though he passed on?"

"Aye." Carson's smile turned nostalgic. "I had just started medical school when he died. 'Don't ever give up, Carsy,' he said." Carson chuckled, its sound lifting Teyla's spirits slightly. "I'll never forget him sayin' that."

Teyla smiled as she watched him get lost in thought. The smile that touched his lips lingered as he sipped his coffee again, and his eyes gazed into his memories. Seeing Carson so at ease with the loss in his past gave her hope that she would one day look back on Charin with such fondness. Right now, though, her loss was too fresh for her to do much more than cry at the thought. But she had tried to shed her tears in private save for those few that she'd cried at Charin's bedside.

Her attempt to dash the tears from her eyes pulled Carson from his thoughts, and he frowned. "Teyla, are you okay?"

"Yes." She smiled, but her lips trembled. He had been with her from the moment that Charin first mentioned the ring ceremony. It had been Carson's gentle presence behind her, turning off the heart monitor, that had helped her through that horrible moment when Charin's spirit departed her body. Now, he reached over and took her hand. She gripped his hand, the strength of her emotions causing her to hold tighter than she'd intended. Instead of complaining, he used his other hand to cover hers, his thumb rubbing along her knuckles and sending shards of warmth up her arm. Teyla understood that this awareness, this moment, was nothing more than her own emotions out of control, so she did not follow through with the first thought in her mind. Perhaps, once the strength of her grief had faded, she would talk with the kind doctor about them. For now, she simply kept her head bowed as two tears traced their way down her face.

Finally, she looked up and took a deep breath. He released her hand and rose to carry his coffee mug to the sideboard where he kept the coffee pot. His white lab coat was stark against the dark shirt he wore beneath it, and he kept his back turned, puttering around, as she regained her composure. Teyla was grateful for the gesture and pushed to her feet.

"Thank you, Dr. Beckett."

He turned and smiled at her. "Call me 'Carson.'" His blue eyes met hers, the understanding in them dampening the sparkle there. "And you are welcome anytime."

Teyla nodded and left the office, knowing he watched her go. She let out a deep breath and wiped the last vestiges of her grief from her face. She knew John would understand, that he would accept her need to grieve. But Carson had given her a safe place to show those emotions that weren't necessarily shown in the sparring room or on a mission. He was a healer, and she felt as if he'd just taken a slight bit of the pain from her. The rest would linger, she knew. But her friends—her _family__—_would see her through it.

oOo

Rodney McKay stormed out of his lab, his anger so intense that he didn't see the apprehensive look on Radek's face. The Czech rarely looked apprehensive, which said a lot. Now, Rodney stomped through the Atlantis corridors with his empty coffee cup. Some _imbecile_ on the night shift had helped themselves to the last bit of his coffee. He'd carefully rationed the ground beans, meaning he had at least another week's supply before he started going through caffeine withdrawals. It had happened before, but never like this. Never had anyone been so bold as to steal from _him_! When he found out who had done it, he would make certain they were on their way back to Earth with the next dial-out, never mind the power it drained from the ZedPM.

Teyla had just slipped out of the infirmary when Rodney stormed inside. He spared the Athosian a single glance, his anger lessening slightly as he watched her leave. While he and Sheppard had been dealing with the ZedPM's overload, Teyla had conducted the funeral for a very close family friend. Perhaps she'd come to see Carson about legalities, though Rodney couldn't figure out what legalities the Athosians might have that included the doctor.

Carson was in his office, just sitting back down, when Rodney stormed through the door. He jumped at the sudden intrusion and half-stood before he realized that the cranky Canadian physicist had ignored him and gone straight for the coffee pot. Carson liked a medium roast, something Rodney didn't tolerate on a normal day. But this wasn't a normal day. This was an emergency, and he'd take Carson's lukewarm leftovers before he went without!

Coffee cup filled and that first heavenly sip taken, Rodney let out a deep breath. The spicy afternotes of the coffee didn't even bother him today. "I am _so_ going to see someone shipped back to the SGC."

Carson blinked at him, settling into his chair. "Why?"

"I don't know who it was, but someone stole the last of my coffee. Don't they know I need that to make the brilliant discoveries that I make?"

Carson gave him a glance somewhere between irritation and amusement. "I'm certain you'll survive."

Rodney took another sip. "Yes! Yes, I will because _they_ will be gone as soon as I find out who."

Carson rolled his eyes. "Rodney."

Hearing the longsuffering tone, Rodney held up his mug. "Thanks for the coffee, Carson." He headed for the door before turning around. "I'm not leaving you short, am I? I mean, I know you don't do the kind of work I do, but I'd hate to leave you without your coffee that you need next time I have a medical emergency."

"I'll be fine, Rodney." Carson grinned at him. "Just limit it to one cup a day for a while."

Rodney agreed with a wave, not telling anyone that he'd been down to one cup a day—not counting regular meals—for some time. He'd been hoarding his precious supply, and now it was gone. As he left the infirmary, he vowed to figure out who the coffee thief was and send him—or her—packing just as soon as possible. _No __one_ messed with Rodney McKay's coffee and lived to tell the tale!

oOo

Ronon wandered into the sparring room later that afternoon to see Teyla idly twirling her Bantos rods. He watched her silently, surprised that she didn't notice him. The expression on her face was completely unguarded, and the ex-Runner frowned. He knew she'd lost a close friend a couple days ago, but she had not allowed her friends to support her in any way.

"Hey." Ronon headed for the spare Bantos rods, ignoring the way Teyla jumped as if startled. "Wanna spar?"

She studied him, a small grin turning the corners of her lips upward. "You do not need to. . . ."

"I know," he interrupted. Taking up a fighter's stance on the mat, he waited. Teyla nodded and, for the next few moments, only the sound of their Bantos rods broke the stillness. But something happened after that. Teyla's attack came harder, and she put more force behind her strikes. While she never caught Ronon off guard, he knew she needed this outlet for her grief. While Charin had died of natural causes, Teyla's world had shifted. She was struggling to find her footing in this new life without any blood kin, and she needed to work out the inevitable anger that her inability to help Charin had caused. Not to mention the unfounded—and totally natural—frustration of not having her family close when Charin's ceremony had been conducted. Ronon understood those emotions. He'd felt them before.

Her tears began to fall as she lost the ability to control them. Ronon didn't point them out, choosing instead to give her the chance to exhaust herself. If he wasn't mistaken—and he rarely was, though he didn't point it out like McKay—she had not slept much the previous night.

When Teyla's attack slowed, Ronon wound their sparring down as naturally as he could. He felt when the final blow struck and stepped off the mat, his manner indicating that he was done. Teyla stood in the middle, her chest heaving as she dragged in great breaths of air. Ronon reached for a water bottle and waited while she recovered her composure. He wanted to tell her that it would get easier, but he knew that she wouldn't hear him right now. Instead, he grinned. "Feel better?"

"Yes." She shrugged. "Thank you."

He shrugged and headed for the door. "You hungry?"

"Actually, I ate before I came here." She offered him a smile. "And I am quite tired. Perhaps another time?"

"Yeah." Ronon waved as she headed for her quarters. Beckett was coming from the opposite direction, and he stopped long enough to speak to Teyla. Ronon watched the two, seeing the concern on Beckett's face and the gentle smile on Teyla's. He waited until Teyla continued on her way before turning to the doctor. "Hungry?"

"Aye," Beckett said with a grin. "Care to join me?"

"Sounds good." Ronon fell into step with Beckett, the two men not needing words to fill the silence. This small doctor had freed Ronon from the life of a Runner, and Ronon quite enjoyed his company. They gained the mess hall and picked a table, Sheppard and McKay joining them a few moments later. The evening was spent in quiet conversation punctuated by masculine laughter as the four men told jokes and in general relaxed after a quiet day on base.

~TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Elizabeth made it to the office on time for work the next day. In fact, she'd slept well, having ticked quite a few things off of her to-do list. The IOA hadn't fussed too terribly—yet—and she hoped that Colonel Caldwell's testimony would take the heat from her. In spite of the political pressure that was almost guaranteed, she could almost pretend the incident with the ZPM was par for course. Which it was, but she still could not take it lightly.

With the entire command and medical staff checked out by Carson, Elizabeth called a briefing in her office. She typically used the conference room, but she wasn't quite ready to be up and moving today. She had also learned that the change of scenery could be good for various members of her team. Carson was the first to arrive, his eyes flickering to the new pitcher proudly displayed on her shelf. He didn't say anything about it, choosing to sit in one of the chairs she kept in her office for moments like this. Ronon and Sheppard arrived next, the two having just come from either training more Marines or eating breakfast. Ronon leaned against the edge of the door, forcing Rodney to almost climb over his long legs. The physicist was cranky today, and Elizabeth frowned at him. Rodney was always cranky, but this was worse. It reminded her of when she didn't get her morning cup of coffee. Teyla appeared last, her graceful approach impetus enough for Ronon to let her into the room.

After the obligatory greetings, Elizabeth got down to business. "Carson, how go the physicals?"

"Oh, good." He shrugged. "My staff has all been checked out, an' they're perfectly capable of continuin' while I catch up on paperwork for the day."

"Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you might have to put the paperwork on hold." Elizabeth offered an apologetic smile. "We've been contacted by the people of M4G-337. They've got some sort of winter fever sweeping the village and have asked for medical assistance."

He accepted that with a nod, such a difference from when he first arrived on Atlantis. "Well, I've been meanin' to conduct a clinic there. I suppose now is as good a time as any."

"Good." Elizabeth turned to Sheppard. "Colonel?"

John smirked. "Keep an eye on the doc, make sure he comes back in one piece, and don't get in trouble."

Elizabeth couldn't stop the smile on her face. "You'll leave as soon as Carson's ready." When the group stood to go, she lifted her voice slightly. "Teyla? A word?"

The Athosian stayed behind as the men exited the office. Once they were out of sight, Elizabeth met Teyla's eyes. "I heard about Charin. I wanted to say that I am so sorry I wasn't there."

"You were dealing with a crisis on Atlantis." Teyla shook her head with a smile. "I am glad you were here, Elizabeth. Besides, Carson was at the ceremony with me."

"He was?" Elizabeth grinned at the thought of her kind-hearted Chief of Medicine. "Good."

Teyla hesitated slightly. "Thank you for allowing me to perform the ceremony according to Charin's wishes rather than insisting we evacuate."

Elizabeth nodded once. "It was the least I could do." Now, it was her turn to hesitate. "Teyla, have any of your people traded with someone on base recently?"

"No. Why?"

"Because I received a gift yesterday. A hand-made pitcher."

Teyla's eyes swept the room and spotted the gift on the shelf. "That is it?"

"Yes."

The Athosian moved to examine the pottery. "It is beautiful, but I am afraid none of my people make anything similar to this. I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Elizabeth gave her friend a smile. "I just wondered who had left it so that I could tell them thanks."

Teyla offered her another smile. "Sometimes, the gift is more important than the giver."

"True." Elizabeth turned to the desk. "I should let you get on with your day."

Teyla nodded once and left her alone. Elizabeth watched the other woman walk away, wishing she could be as graceful and peaceful when faced with a heart breaking loss. But Teyla was from different stock, had lived under the threat of the Wraith all her life, and had survived. Elizabeth just hoped she could keep up that sort of strength if she ever faced such loss.

oOo

Flying Jumpers through the Stargate was second nature to Sheppard now, but no less thrilling. He grinned as the snowy ground of M4G-337 spread out in front of them. This place was perfect for getting into the Christmas spirit, and Sheppard had heard several of the Marines talking just that morning about packages from home. Quite frankly, he could have cared less about the holiday. It was just another chance for him to realize that his family relationships were strained—to say the least. He hadn't spoken with either his father or his brother since the day he left for basic training.

Seeing the snow, however, awakened something in him. He grinned as he headed for the small village at the base of the nearby mountain range. Winters snowboarding in the Swiss Alps came to mind, and Sheppard idly wished that he had access to the equipment to bring here. These people likely wouldn't understand his obsession with flying down the side of a mountain on a thin board, but it would so be worth it for the adrenaline rush!

Rodney, in the copilot's seat, glared at the white powder on the ground. "Of course. It would have to be winter."

Sheppard glanced at him. "Elizabeth said it was a 'winter fever,' remember?"

"Yeah. I was just hoping it was less. . .wintery." Rodney dropped his head back into his hand.

Sheppard frowned. "Hey, you okay? You look like you didn't get enough sleep last night."

"I'm fine." Rodney's glum look returned to a glare. "Someone—and I still haven't figured out who—stole the last of my coffee." If he wasn't so serious, the entire statement would have been hilarious.

Sheppard exchanged an amused glance with Ronon and Teyla, seeing Carson roll his eyes in the background. "Just get your coffee from the mess hall like the rest of us until the _Daedalus_ makes it back here."

"That stuff is disgusting, Sheppard, and how you can even continue to drink it is beyond me." Rodney actually shuddered.

Carson stirred. "For once, I have to agree."

Ronon's voice broke into the conversation. "I like the mess hall's coffee."

Rodney shook his head. "You would."

Sheppard figured he needed to change the topic before McKay's headache got worse. Knowing the physicist's dark, extra-bold coffee blend had been stolen explained the glare and morose behavior. If he didn't have an eleven cups a day habit, Rodney might have weathered this particular storm just fine. "So," Sheppard asked, "have you heard that Elizabeth okayed a base-wide Christmas?"

"Has she?" Carson asked, surprised. "I figured I have known she was even considerin' it."

Rodney turned to face him. "That's because you've been too busy doing whatever it is you do in that lab of yours."

Ronon looked at Sheppard. "Christmas? You mean like in those movies you showed me? _Home __Alone_?"

"Yeah," Sheppard agreed, "except we're not fighting off robbers who are trying to break in."

Next to Carson, Teyla smiled. "I quite enjoyed last year's Christmas celebration. It was different from the Athosian's winter festival, but no less enjoyable."

"Aye," Carson agreed. "Seein' Lieutenant Ford dressed up as Santa for the Athosian children was great fun!" He laughed at the memory.

Sheppard himself smiled. Just a few months later, Ford had gone AWOL when he'd become instantly addicted to the Wraith enzyme. The question of whether the young Marine was still alive plagued Sheppard late at night, and he tried to remember how Ford had enlivened the base, not how he'd been lost. "So, any idea what we're doing this year?" Sheppard turned to Carson, as if the doctor would have any answers.

"I hope it includes coffee," Rodney moaned. This time, Sheppard wasn't able to keep the smirk from his face.

Teyla smiled at the byplay. "Perhaps we will decorate a tree again?"

Sheppard landed the Jumper and pointed at the Athosian. "Just what I was thinkin'." He glanced out the viewport. "It doesn't look like it's too dangerous here, Doc. Will you be okay with just Rodney and Teyla staying with you?"

"Och, aye." Carson picked up his gear. "I don't see any reason why we'll have a problem."

"Good." Sheppard popped out of his chair and patted Ronon on the shoulder. "You and I are going hunting for a Christmas tree."

Ronon dubiously agreed, and the five of them made their way out of the Jumper. The village elder, Faren, met them, happy that Atlantis had sent assistance. Carson immediately began asking questions about symptoms and such, and Sheppard tuned out the conversation as he looked around. This place resembled a Norse village, and the homes looked sturdy enough. Snow drifted against every wall, and Sheppard grinned as he saw Rodney plow right through it. To be fair, Carson didn't pay much mind to it either. Sheppard supposed the two men were accustomed to snow, cold, and temperamental weather.

Once Carson was happily ensconced in his "clinic," Sheppard pulled Faren aside. He inquired about taking one of their evergreen trees that circled the village, ever aware that alien customs might prohibit such use. When he explained that their people celebrated a holiday that required use of the tree, Faren gladly agreed to let them take one home. Sheppard and Ronon spent the next several hours sorting through the thick forest and finding a tree that was impressive but still small enough to fit into the Jumper. After all, they couldn't tie it to the top and expect it to make the trip through the gate.

Around noon, Sheppard headed for the village. Carson was retrieving some supplies from the Jumper, so Sheppard figured this might be a good time to get a status report. "How's it going, Doc?"

Carson turned. "Oh, good." He stepped out of the Jumper, his breath puffing on the cold air. "From what I can tell, this 'winter fever' is similar to the common cold. For us, it's not a problem, but here. . . ." He looked at the snow around them as they took several steps away from the Jumper. "It causes great discomfort, but no one is in immediate danger."

Sheppard nodded. "Good to hear, Doc. About how much longer do you think you'll be?"

Several things happened next. Carson opened his mouth to answer as a loud rumble sounded through the stillness. Ronon hollered for them to move, but a wall of snow slammed into Carson and Sheppard before they could do much more than turn. It didn't carry them far, but Sheppard's body took the brunt of the impact. He reached for anything that would stop the tumbling, but his hands came away with just snow. He hoped Carson had some training in dealing with an avalanche and stopped thinking when his head impacted something hard and wooden.

oOo

Ronon watched the avalanche come to a complete stop next to one of the sturdy houses. The thatched roof shuddered with the impact, but the house stayed standing. He supposed the villagers had endured several such events and had build these particular homes as a break against the snow. Now, however, he hollered for McKay and Teyla, rushing toward the snow piled against the back of the house. When he'd last seen Sheppard and Beckett, the two men had barely had time to turn before the snow hit them.

"Oh my God!" Rodney's panic cut through the air as villagers shouted to one another. Ronon saw men rushing toward the avalanche and felt something begin to uncoil in his stomach. He wouldn't relax completely until Sheppard and Beckett were back home on Atlantis, safe and recovering from the ordeal. But having help on the way made the situation a bit easier to bear.

Teyla appeared along with the villagers as Rodney headed for the Jumper. The physicist said something about using the sensors in the Jumper to locate Sheppard and Beckett. Meanwhile, villagers produced long thin poles to probe the snow. Ronon pointed out the locations of their missing men, and Teyla grabbed one of the poles offered to her. She started at one side of the snow pile, carefully pushing the pole through the snow until she encountered the ground. Moving a foot or so to her right, she continued her methodical search.

Ronon accepted one of the poles as well, and he began searching within his prescribed location. He knew the chances of Sheppard and Beckett surviving the avalanche decreased with each passing moment, and he hoped neither of the men were too seriously injured.

The radio in his ear crackled, and McKay's voice came through. "Okay, I've got two life signs under the snow. Both are strong, but they're right in the center of the drift."

Ronon carefully headed for the central area. "How much in the center, McKay?"

"Right under the deepest part of the snow." Rodney appeared a moment later, holding a life signs detector in his hand. He pointed at the side of the building. "It might be easier to go from inside to get to them."

Faren that greeted them when they arrived glanced up. "Is there any way to tell if they're injured?"

"No." McKay met the man's eyes. "They just read as life signs. Look, from what I saw, there were logs and rocks in that avalanche. Which means they could have any number of injuries. Their life signs are strong for now, but they're going to fade if we don't get them out from under the snow."

Ronon glared at McKay. "And no one else is under there?"

"No, no one else!"

"Okay." Ronon dropped the probe he'd been using. "Shovel!"

oOo

Carson coughed as the snow settled around him. He blinked his eyes open, feeling the inch or so around his face and fighting the inevitable claustrophobia. He had hoped to never know what it felt like to be buried alive, but he was now faced with getting out of this. Moving as carefully as possible, he took stock of his situation. As a lad, he'd gone skiing in Aviemore with his family, and he knew his chances of survival increased as he struggled to escape. But he wasn't alone under this snow, and he needed to find Colonel Sheppard as well.

Ignoring the close quarters, Carson turned his head to both sides. He had a bit of air left, but not much. He was already cold due to not having his coat. When he'd stepped outside to retrieve some antibiotics from the Jumper, he figured he'd be in the cold for all of five minutes, seven at the most. Now, he was buried under an avalanche with only his base uniform for protection. And Sheppard was in the same condition, only he had his TAC vest and weapons with him.

Carson's hand encountered a boot, and he let out a quick breath. He and Sheppard were close together, which meant they could dig themselves out at the same time. Unless of course, the colonel was injured. In which case, Carson figured he'd need to keep Sheppard alive until help arrived.

Knowing any movement could cause the tiny air pocket to fall, Carson started pushing his way toward the surface. Or, rather, what he thought was the surface. Getting slammed against the wall of the house hadn't exactly felt pleasant, and he knew he'd be bruised and battered by the time he reached Atlantis. But he was alive, and he intended to stay alive.

The foot he'd been gripping as he began digging himself out moved, and Carson released Sheppard to fight for his life. It seemed like forever before the snow above him moved, and he actually grinned when he broke through the surface. Ronon shouted for a blanket and hauled him out, the massive piles of snow about them a testament to the teamwork of the villagers in getting to them. He turned and pointed, his teeth chattering in the cold. "S-s-sheppard's u-under th-there!"

"Yeah, we know, Doc." Ronon kept digging as Teyla approached the pair. She wrapped the blanket around Carson's shoulders.

He smiled. "Thank you, d-d-dear." He shivered beneath the blanket and pointed, attempting to keep his teeth from clattering harder than they already were. "Just give me a shovel, an' I'll h-h-help."

"No." Teyla steered him away from the rescue operation. "Right now, we must get you inside and warm, into dry clothing as well. Ronon and the villagers will get Colonel Sheppard."

"H-he was in the same area I was."

"We know." Teyla opened the door to a home, and Carson stepped into blessed warmth. He hadn't felt as cold when he was under the snow, but the breeze on the surface chilled him to the bone. He felt melted snow slide down his back, between his shoulder blades, and barely suppressed the wriggle that started at the base of his skull. Instead, he used his hands to knock the snow from his hair.

Teyla had clearly coordinated with the owner of this home because she returned with a clean pair of clothes. "You must change." She motioned over her shoulder. "As soon as you are done, there is hot tea waiting for you."

Carson gave her an understanding nod and began stripping out of his cold, wet clothing as soon as she left him alone. It was a bit tough to get the laces of his boots untied and his buttons undone, but he eventually got his frozen fingers to work. The warmth of the home seeped into his body, and he pulled the blanket back around his shoulders once he'd climbed into the woolen pants and shirt. As he carried his own clothes back into the main portion of the home, Teyla set a steaming cup of tea on the table.

Carson took a single sip before the door opened. Ronon helped Sheppard through the door, the colonel looking less than impressed with the assistance. Carson rose to his feet but waited while Ronon got Sheppard into the back room where he could also change into warm, dry clothing. Sipping the tea helped, as did the strength of the mix, and Carson let out a deep sigh of relief. While there would likely be an overnight stay in the infirmary, it appeared that everyone would be okay.

oOo

Rodney started missing his coffee as soon as he woke that morning, but seeing Sheppard and Carson get buried in a sliding wall of snow just completed his day. As Ronon hollered for him, he ran toward the site of the avalanche. On Earth, chances of survival went down with every passing moment. In Pegasus, they had things like life signs detectors and sensors on Jumpers. After successfully locating his friends, he pitched in with digging them out without complaining a single time.

Getting them back home to Atlantis, however, was a different story. Carson refused to allow Sheppard, who had suffered a blow to the head resulting in a concussion, to fly, leaving Rodney to pilot the Jumper back through the gate. The two popsicles sat behind him, giving him pointers on flying the small craft. That Carson could barely pilot the thing was lost on the doctor, and Sheppard was the worst back-seat pilot in the world!

When they finally arrived back on Atlantis, a medical team ushered Carson and Sheppard off to the infirmary while Ronon and Teyla explained everything to Elizabeth. Rodney followed his two friends into the infirmary, ready to ignore social convention—not that he ever paid attention to it—and just storm Carson's office for some coffee. Caffeine of any kind right now would work!

In the infirmary, Amanda Cole steered Sheppard and Carson into beds, performing quick checks on them before tucking them in for the night. It took some time, but Carson finally glanced over from his cocoon and met Rodney's eyes. "Rodney, go make a pot o' coffee an' let the poor lass do her job."

"Thank you!" Rodney didn't wait for anyone to get out of the way before he bolted to the Chief of Medicine's office. Once there, he brewed enough for everyone, figuring that Carson would appreciate the gesture. Besides, Sheppard and Carson might also like a cup, and who knew how many doctors this entire incident would take. Now that they were back on Atlantis, his hypochondriac tendencies roared to the surface. Would Carson and Sheppard be okay? Were they severely injured or just bruised? What about exposure? Both of them were likely suffering from minor hypothermia. How long would that take to get over? The questions rolled over and over in his head, and he drummed his fingers impatiently on the sideboard as he waited for the coffee to brew.

By the time he rejoined the group in the infirmary, Lorne had appeared and was getting a full briefing from Sheppard. Carson added his two cents in, not looking very happy about being confined to a bed in his own infirmary. But Cole was firm with him, telling him that he needed to take the night to recover. Rodney mentioned the coffee and grinned when Carson's eyes lit up. Cole agreed that it was likely a good idea to get more warm liquids into the two men, and they soon found themselves nursing a cup of Carson's weak brew—though Sheppard quite liked it for some reason—as Rodney choked the stuff down. At least the caffeine content was high enough to take the edge off of his headache. When he headed back to the office for a second cup, Carson cleared his throat loudly.

"What?" Rodney glared. "Oh, you can get more than one cup, but I can't? Is that it?"

"Wha' was our agreement, Rodney?" Carson asked.

Sheppard glanced over at him. "Besides, _you_ weren't buried under half a mountain of snow. _We_ were."

"It wasn't 'half a mountain,'" Rodney protested. "And you'll be fine!"

"Aye, an' so will you with only one cup o' coffee," Carson replied.

"Fine!" Rodney set his cup down and glared at the two, not really angry but irritated that his headache hadn't let off. "But when you two need something done that requires my expertise, remember that I've only had one cup of coffee today and I'm in a really bad mood!"

Sheppard grinned at his tirade, which only irritated him more. Instead of commenting, Rodney left the infirmary and headed for his lab. He had important work to do, and he figured he should get it done while the energy from the coffee lasted. If all else failed, he'd go to the mess hall for their watered-down stuff. But that would be a last resort.

oOo

Major Lorne pulled Dr. Cole out of the main infirmary for a few moments, and Teyla took the opportunity to study the two men in the beds. Sheppard looked completely at home there, smiling at the nurse who came over to give him his dinner tray. Carson, however, appeared perturbed. Teyla smiled at the doctor's attempt to be polite to his staff. She was accustomed to seeing the two men in this room, though seeing Carson _in_ the bed as opposed to _beside_ the bed was. . .different. When the snow had slammed into the two of them, she had stopped breathing for a moment. And then the alarmed shout from Ronon triggered her own emotions. If they weren't recovered in time. . . .

Now that she had time to truly think about it, Teyla smiled as she approached the two men. At least they had not been seriously injured, though Colonel Sheppard's minor concussion would keep the group confined to the base for the next couple of days. Still, compared to some of the ways they'd returned through the Stargate, cuts, bruises, a minor concussion, and mild hypothermia were much better options. In fact, Carson was already sitting upright and pushing off the heavy blankets Dr. Cole had piled on top of him. Sheppard, however, still had a decent headache from the concussion and closed his eyes to doze after thanking Teyla for her help that day.

Carson watched Teyla as she settled into the chair between the two beds. "He'll be okay," he said softly.

Teyla glanced at Sheppard. "I know." She met Carson's eyes. "I am glad you are also okay."

"Aye." He shifted on the bed, fiddling with the IV that Dr. Cole had insisted on starting. "I never thought myself to be claustrophobic, but opening my eyes to see that snow an inch from my nose was. . . ." He shuddered. "I think I understand Rodney a bit better."

Teyla nodded. "I have never seen an avalanche. But you have?"

"No." Carson shook his head. "When I was a lad, my family traveled to Aviemore to ski. We were all taught what to do in case of an avalanche."

"What is ski?"

He chuckled. "Skiing is a sport on Earth. You wear skis, long shoes that help you move over the snow. It's quite the rush flyin' down the mountain."

Teyla blinked. "And you enjoy this?"

"Aye," Carson said earnestly. "I haven't been in years, but I remember the fun we had with my family."

The two of them settled in for the evening, chatting about skiing, snow sports in general, and those things that Teyla's people enjoyed. By the time she left the infirmary, she felt quite comfortable with leaving her two friends for the night. A glance back told her that Carson had closed his eyes and drifted to sleep, the exhaustion of the day weighing in on him. Sheppard had been asleep for several hours already, and Teyla knew they would be okay.

oOo

_He watched Teyla leave the infirmary, hiding his smile as he thought about events of the day. Having the city's Chief of Medicine and military commander both buried in an avalanche made for a bad day at any given time. Seeing them returned safely was a massive relief. At least Murphy and his law had decided to work with them, having someone close to dig out Carson and Sheppard right away._

_Now, as he surveyed the infirmary, he considered his mission. His first package had been delivered quietly and without much fuss, though he knew Elizabeth appreciated it. She was suspicious, however, and he couldn't blame her. Perhaps the second one would be less suspicious, though he was prepared to deal with whatever fallout came of this entire thing. The command staff in this city needed Christmas, and Santa was willing to give it to them. Even if they never knew who truly left the gifts behind._

~TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Carson woke the next morning to a sore neck, sore back, and sore everything. He let out a quiet groan as he opened his eyes. Memory of the previous day returned slowly, and he realized just how lucky he and Colonel Sheppard had been. They had both survived an avalanche and come away with cuts and bruises. As well as a concussion for Colonel Sheppard. Carson blinked at the ceiling of his infirmary and whispered a quiet prayer of thanks that he had survived. Again.

The dimmed lighting throughout the entire infirmary told him that the hour was still early, but his circadian rhythm wouldn't allow him to sleep any longer. He was accustomed to waking at this time, fixing a cup of tea or coffee—whatever his mood for the morning—and enjoying the sunrise from the window in his quarters. When they had been together, Laura had commented on how domestic he was, and Carson hadn't been able to deny her. The simplicity of his routine kept him sane and reminded him that there were greater things in life than work. It was something Rodney would do well to learn.

At the thought of the physicist, Carson grinned. Even he could see the humor of Rodney's angry march into his office to get a cup of badly needed coffee. He worried about Rodney's health on a regular basis, but he had also endured caffeine withdrawals. They could be irritating at best, agonizing at worst.

"Dr. Beckett." Amanda Cole's soft voice broke the stillness. "I wasn't expecting to see you awake."

"Oh, I'm always up this time of mornin'." Carson pushed himself up on his bed and tried to look more alert. The numerous bruises on his body protested, and he wasn't able to keep the wince from his face. "How is everyone?"

"They're fine." Amanda had already disconnected his IV during the night, and Carson was surprised to realize he'd slept through the entire thing. "And I think you're going to be as well. Give me a few moments, and I'll release you to a day of rest in your quarters or someplace else. _No_ work whatsoever."

Carson smiled. He often gave the team orders such as that, and he always expected them to be followed. Just like Amanda did now. "Aye, I think it's a good idea."

"You're going to listen?" She sounded surprised.

Carson gave her an indulgent glance. "I'll try."

She stared at him for another moment. "Fine. But I'll be checking in on you throughout the day. No work!"

Carson nodded obediently.

She snickered. "And you can save the puppy-dog eyes for someone who doesn't work with you on a daily basis."

Realizing he was caught, Carson let out a frustrated sigh, tempering it with a smile. "I'll be fine, love. I promise I'll take it easy, and I'll even get some rest during the day. But, before I leave, I need to get some coffee started in my office. Rodney will be by for a cup, an' I'd hate for him to have to wait for it."

Amanda shook her head. "Doesn't he have his own?"

"Someone stole it."

"Go figure." She stepped away after that wry comment to grab a bottle of medication. "Here's some mild pain pills if you need them. Your extra clothes are where you always keep them, and I'll be in the office when you step inside to make coffee."

Carson watched as she quietly moved away before climbing from bed. When he'd been given the position of Chief of Medicine, he'd insisted on having scrubs for his patients to wear after enduring a very embarrassing incident during his residency. He'd been tending to an elderly man who was quite attracted to one of the nurses. To be honest, Carson himself was quite attracted to the same nurse. The man, however, had worn his gown backwards and had exposed more than he'd cared to admit to the entire ward. At that moment, Carson had decided that his patients would wear scrubs to prevent that from happening. Now, he padded into the bathroom and pulled out the extra uniform he kept there in case the one he wore was soiled during the day. As a doctor, he knew that he could come away with anything on his clothes and preferred leaving the infirmary clean. A quick shower helped him feel better than he had since the day before, and he slipped into the office to brew coffee for Rodney. True to her word, Amanda was waiting for him, and she watched him like a hawk to ensure that he did nothing more than prepare the coffee pot for its daily visit from the Chief of Science.

In the corridor, Carson let out a deep breath and slowly walked to his quarters. Atlantis was quiet this time of morning, and he enjoyed the soft greetings of security personnel as he passed. A few asked about the previous day, and he filled them in on his adventures in the snow. Once in his quarters, he glanced around. The place was a mess, his belongings scattered in a shameful display of exhaustion after days of physicals and an off world mission. Deciding that there was no time like the present, he set to work slowly cleaning up the disaster. When he finally finished, he collapsed into the couch with his laptop, intent on finishing up some overdue reports. Instead, he drifted to sleep and rested for the remainder of the day.

oOo

Carson was gone by the time Sheppard awoke. The Scot's bed was already changed, and the infirmary lighting was at its daytime brightness. Sheppard squeezed his eyes shut, the headache from the concussion making him light sensitive. The groan that escaped, however, drew some attention as Amanda came over to give him a quick check. Seeing that he was as well as could be expected, she released him with firm orders to take it easy. At this moment, Sheppard would have no problems taking it easy.

"Colonel." Lorne's surprised voice made him blink as he stepped out of the infirmary. The major turned on his heel and fell into step with him. "I was about to check in on you."

"Well, I'm fine." Sheppard offered the man a smile, knowing that Lorne was simply doing his job. "Where are we today?"

"From what Dr. Weir says, the physicals on the military personnel will be finished today, and the infirmary plans to start on the civilians." Lorne pulled out a small PDA and consulted it. "Dr. Weir also received word from M4G-377. They wanted to know how you and Dr. Beckett were faring. She told them that you would make a full recovery."

Sheppard nodded once and immediately regretted it. The lingering nausea from his concussion had faded right until that moment. He slowed as he rounded the corner to his quarters. "Major, as much as I appreciate the briefing, it's not. . . . ." His voice trailed off when he saw the tall, brightly wrapped package next to his door. ". . .necessary."

Lorne grinned. "Secret admirer, Sir?"

"Not that I'm aware of." Sheppard picked up the large package, weighing it with a frown. He opened his door and nodded Lorne inside. Stopping only long enough to make certain Lorne made it into the room, he tore the paper from the package. "No way!"

Lorne looked nonplussed. "A surfboard, Sir?"

"Not just any surfboard!" Sheppard grinned, looking over the white board with an experience eye. "This is the Semi Pro, designed by Kelly Slater!"

"Who?"

Sheppard looked at the other man. "Don't surf?"

"Ah. . .no, Sir."

Sheppard nodded. "Kelly Slater is the most successful surfing champion in the world. He was the youngest to ever win the ASP title, and he outdid Mark Richards in championship surfing! He designed _this_ board himself!"

Lorne lifted his chin and then dipped it. "I see."

Sheppard studied the board. "This'll make those trips to the mainland so much better!"

Lorne motioned over his shoulder. "I should be heading back to the office."

"Right." Sheppard set aside the board and met his second-in-command's eyes. "Thanks for the briefing, but it's not necessary. I'll catch up tomorrow."

"Yes, Sir." Lorne left then, and Sheppard went back to admiring the surfboard. Then, he frowned. Who would know him well enough to know he'd appreciate something like this? Certainly Rodney and Elizabeth. Carson, too. Ronon would, as well, but the Satedan wouldn't have had any way to get the board to Atlantis without help. Sheppard thought back over the last few days and realized that only one person had seen him drooling over this very surfboard when it came out months ago.

The headache he'd forgotten about when he saw the surfboard for the first time returned as the rush of adrenaline faded. He headed to the bathroom, taking a quick shower before dropping into his bed with his laptop. He meant to do a bit of research on his own and figure out how Rodney had ordered the surfboard without his knowledge. But his head pounded in time with the slight noise of the keyboard, and Sheppard unwillingly rolled onto his back and closed his eyes. He fell asleep within two minutes.

oOo

Rodney found Sheppard and Ronon already at the "team table" that evening. Ronon had a plate full of food, and Sheppard looked like he'd just finished eating a turkey sandwich. The two men weren't talking too much, but Sheppard looked much better than he had last night. There were still cuts on his face from where the snow had pushed sticks and rocks into him, and Rodney knew Carson would look just as battered. Those two had simply been at the wrong place at the wrong time, but Rodney was grateful it wasn't _him_ stuck under that snow. His claustrophobia wouldn't have allowed him to escape alive.

"Thank you." Sheppard's cryptic greeting earned a scowl.

"For what?" Rodney blinked and then realized the other man was thanking him for finding the two under the snow. "Oh. It was nothing."

Sheppard grinned. "Please. I don't even want to know what you spent—Wait! I do know what you spent. Because I was looking at the very same thing just before our mission to M4G-377. And every day before that. I gotta hand it to you, McKay. I never figured you for the whole Secret Santa type."

Rodney froze with his fork halfway to his mouth, wondering if the colonel had finally gone off his rocker. "What are you talking about?"

Sheppard's grin turned a bit uncertain. "Big long thing you left outside my quarters this morning? I figured it was your way of buying my cooperation when you want your gadgets turned on."

Rodney set down his fork as Teyla joined the men. "I don't know what Cole gave you, Sheppard, but you were clearly hallucinating."

"Who's hallucinatin'?" Carson's voice behind Rodney startled the physicist.

"Jeez! Warn a guy!" Rodney grouched.

"Sorry, Rodney." The Scot looked sheepish for just a moment as he sat down next to Teyla. "Now, what's all this about hallucinations?"

"I'm _not_ hallucinating, Doc," Sheppard said firmly. "I found a Christmas present outside my quarters this morning, and I was trying to say thanks to the man who gave it to me."

Rodney, who had recovered from his shock, waved around the fork he'd just emptied. "Yeah, you're forgetting one thing, Sheppard," he said through a mouthful of food. "I don't have a clue what you're talking about."

Teyla turned to Sheppard. "Colonel?"

Sheppard sat back with a grimace, obviously frustrated at not getting the reaction he wanted from Rodney. "This morning, after Cole released me from the infirmary, I found a Christmas present outside my door. I thought Rodney here got it for me because he's the only one who's seen me looking at it."

Carson blinked. "What is 'it'?"

Sheppard shifted in his chair. "A surfboard."

Ronon glanced between the two men. "A surfboard? Like in the movies?"

"Yeah, like that," Sheppard shifted. "You know what? Forget it."

Rodney almost agreed, but something Sheppard said struck him. "Wait. You mentioned a Secret Santa."

"Yeah. I figured. . . .Never mind." Sheppard ran a hand over his face. Rodney glanced around the table, seeing the curious expressions on the faces but knew he would get nowhere with Sheppard. Not like he didn't want to try. But Lorne chose that moment to interrupt, and talk turned to a base-wide Christmas party. The tree the team had brought back—after the avalanche—was ready to be decorated the next day, and Lorne had already made provisions for homemade eggnog, beer, and a number of international holiday goodies. Thankfully, haggis wasn't on the menu, though Carson looked a bit crestfallen at that, and Rodney finished his meal as he listened to the chatter around him.

oOo

Ronon frowned. At the moment, Carson and Rodney were debating the nutritional value of haggis. The doc clearly loved the stuff, but McKay looked slightly green. Not green enough to stop eating, however. Ronon didn't say anything, but haggis actually sounded quite good. He hoped he'd get the chance to sample it soon.

Another thought occurred to him, and he decided to just ask. "What's a Secret Santa?"

All conversation at the table came to a halt, like it typically did when he asked a question like that. Sheppard and Lorne exchanged amused glances, and Teyla looked just as curious. Sheppard sat forward. "It's a tradition," he said slowly, almost as if he wasn't completely comfortable with the subject. "Most of the time, you see it in your job or large families. Though I think Carson has the corner on large families."

"Aye," Beckett agreed. "But we never hid who we bought gifts for. Though, I did do a Secret Santa years ago, when I was a resident at Glasgow Royal."

Ronon shrugged. "Okay. What is it?"

Sheppard shrugged. "It's a game of sorts, where each person draws the name of another and gives that person an anonymous gift."

"Why?"

"That way. . . .I don't know." Sheppard blinked. "I guess it's just to keep the mystery of Christmas."

Ronon scowled at that. He could understand giving a gift anonymously, but making a game out of it seemed. . .weird. But he'd already told Sheppard his planet was weird. "Are we gonna do this Secret Santa thing?"

All eyes turned to Lorne, who raised his hands. "I hadn't planned on it given how little time we have."

"Then why mention it?" Ronon asked.

Sheppard waved a hand. "I got that gift anonymously this morning, and I figured we were doing a Secret Santa. I guess I was wrong."

Teyla shook her head. "You are not the only one to receive a gift. Elizabeth also received something. She asked me about it before our visit to M4G-377."

Sheppard blinked at her. "She did?"

"Yes."

Ronon listened as the group discussed the two gifts. If only two had been given, then what was the big deal? McKay was irritated—a normal state of being for him—and wondered why _he_ hadn't received anything. Ronon shook his head. He understood Sheppard, a man who was as much of a survivor as he was. But he would never understand these Earth traditions.

oOo

The gathering broke up when Sheppard let out a jaw-popping yawn. Teyla listened as Carson instructed the colonel to get a good night's sleep and then rose to excuse himself. She pushed to her feet along with him. "I believe I will retire as well."

Carson gave her a grateful smile and gathered his things. Teyla followed, hearing how Sheppard stood and stretched. Rodney fussed, as usual, but it sounded as if their evening was finished. Teyla was not quite ready to be alone just yet, but she did not want to spar or train others. She fell into step with Carson and smiled at him. "How are you feeling?"

"Och, fine." He gave her a sheepish grin. "But Colonel Sheppard has a concussion, an' he needs the rest."

Teyla nodded, understanding that Carson had merely given John the excuse to make it an early night. They reached her quarters before he said anything else. Teyla hesitated. "Would you care to come inside?" She glanced around. "I am not. . . .I do not. . . ."

A warm smile lit Carson's face, and he nodded. "I understand."

Teyla stood back as he entered her quarters, looking around curiously and still appearing a bit awkward. She'd never really paid much attention to Carson outside of work and the occasional mission. He was a friend, but they had never shared much beyond a few kind words in the infirmary or a dinner with the team. Now, he shoved his hands in his pockets and perched on the edge of the couch when she offered him a seat.

Moving to the sideboard, she began heating water for tea. "I had more questions about this Secret Santa."

Carson's awkward smile told her that he was grateful for the opening. "I'm happy to answer any of them."

"Is it a normal tradition?"

"Aye." He nodded and accepted the tea she offered. "Though, I'll have to admit that someone doing a Secret Santa without tellin' anyone is a wee bit odd."

"Among my people, it is common to give gifts to those we care about." Teyla smiled at the thought. "We did not do so on specific holidays, only when we saw something we knew the other would like."

He sipped the Athosian tea, smiling at the strength of it. "Was it just for family?"

"And friends." Teyla met his eyes. "Many times, a man will give a woman he cares about a gift as a symbol of his feelings. Even if the sentiment is not returned, she is aware of how he feels."

"Is it always a sign of that?"

"No." She stood and moved to her bedside table. The necklace had not been worn yet, but she kept it close. "This was given to me by Halling a few days ago."

He glanced up as he took the braided leather with a blue and white stone woven into it. "When Charin passed?"

"Yes." Teyla sat next to him, allowing him to carefully examine the gift. "He felt that I needed something to help me remember the day with happiness, not sadness. After the ring ceremony and once everything had been settled, he pulled me aside and presented it to me. Every time I look at it, I will smile at the memory rather than being overcome with sadness." She accepted the necklace when he gave it back to her. "Carson, among my people, gifts are used to commemorate an event. Each one has a memory attached to it. It is not the gift that matters, but the thought behind the gift."

He nodded in agreement. "On Earth, we give gifts on Christmas, birthdays, an' at various occasions. Kind of the same way. But I've never heard it explained like that."

She smiled. "To hide one's identity from another when giving a gift is rare among my people."

"But it happens?"

"Yes." Teyla rose and put the necklace back in its place. "What about on Earth? From the way you and Colonel Sheppard talk about this Secret Santa, it sounds as if it could be quite fun."

"Och, aye, it is." He settled back in the chair. "I remember the one I did at Glasgow Royal. We made a game out of it, each person leaving their gift for the other in a least expected place."

She grinned. "The surprise and uncertainty of not knowing where you would find a gift must have been exciting."

"It was," he agreed. Teyla sat back on the couch and asked more questions, enjoying the way he smiled when he shared stories from his past. Now that the intensity of her grief at losing Charin was fading, she allowed herself to truly explore the strange attraction she felt for the Chief of Medicine. Carson was unlike the others, not quite certain of where he stood with her but having utmost confidence when in the infirmary. She supposed it was like Rodney's awkwardness outside of his own lab, though Carson seemed to relax as the conversation went on. Before the evening ended, she wound up telling him a few stories of her childhood, and he listened closely.

When he finally rose to leave, Teyla walked him to the door and smiled. "Thank you, Carson. For simply allowing me to talk."

"Give it no thought, love." He touched her elbow reassuringly, his hand warm. "That's what friends are for."

Teyla waved as Carson walked away, watching the way he pinched the bridge of his nose. She'd seen the exhaustion settling over his shoulders, but his eyes had sparkled as he laughed with her about childhood escapades. He had his own stories to tell, proving that he'd been a rambunctious boy once. She suspected he was still that boy, though the energy was tempered with years of training and experience.

Turning to face her empty quarters, Teyla gathered the empty tea cups and smiled. Carson's lilting accent lingered in her ear, and she prepared for bed with a thoughtful expression. What was she going to do about the stirrings of attraction she felt for the doctor?

oOo

_He stood in his quarters and stared at the mess. Boxes were stacked against one corner, and wrapping paper peeked out from behind the couch. His skills at wrapping the gifts weren't improving, but he could have cared less. Right now, he was worried that Sheppard and McKay were asking questions. Ronon had been curious, as had Teyla and Carson. But Sheppard and McKay would start investigating._

_He needed to be careful. His plan wasn't malevolent by any stretch of the imagination, but he certainly did not need McKay figuring out who he was before Christmas Day arrived. The last thing he wanted was for anyone to know his identity. Glancing around, he tried to figure out ways to throw off the scent, but could come up with nothing right now. With many more gifts to deliver, the secret Santa set about ensuring that no one could see anything from his door if they arrived. Then, he retired and stared at the ceiling as he tried to work out a plan to prevent McKay from revealing his identity._

~TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Elizabeth arrived in the mess hall as Major Lorne and Dr. Zelenka wrestled the Christmas tree into a homemade stand. She stayed back, seeing that the two had it under control, and idly wondered how Sheppard's team had managed to fit the tree and themselves into the Jumper. Shaking her head, she let out a deep breath as she filled the coffee cup she'd brought. Her CMO and military commander would both recover just fine, and the villagers seemed intent on keeping Atlantis happy. Not that Elizabeth had taken advantage of those good people. But the worry over how they would respond to the accident led for pleasant negotiations.

"Ma'am." Lorne's voice pulled Elizabeth from her thoughts.

She glanced up from her coffee cup. "Major." Looking over his shoulder, she smiled. "The tree looks great."

"Yeah, I figure it'll fill up as the days go." Lorne rubbed the back of his neck. "Though I'm at a loss how they fit that thing, plus Colonel Sheppard, Dr. Beckett, their blankets, _and_ themselves into the Jumper."

Elizabeth chuckled. "I was just thinking the same thing."

He nodded once but rushed forward as the tree started to tilt. Radek also hurried over, and the two men managed to catch the tree before it crashed to the ground. The homemade stand wasn't as sturdy as they'd thought, and the two set about cleaning up the mess and salvaging the tree. As they worked, Elizabeth rose to her feet. A quick stop into the kitchen revealed a few more of Lorne's arrangements for the evening, and she went back to work with fresh coffee and the certainty she'd turned the city's Christmas celebration over to the right person.

oOo

News that the Christmas tree was finally up spread quickly throughout the base. Carson heard two nurses talking about it and listened in as they discussed Major Lorne's instructions for each person to bring an ornament. From their tone of voice, they weren't interested in decorating the tree because of any Christmas spirit. They simply wanted to make an impression on Lorne.

Shaking his head, Carson returned to his work with his mind already whirling. His mum had sent him a small Christmas ornament in his latest package from home, a tradition she had developed ever since he left Scotland to work with the Stargate Program. She believed in sending him a bit of her Christmas. This year, he'd have a small Saltire to hang on the tree.

The afternoon passed as any other afternoon, with Carson performing the physicals Elizabeth had requested. By the time his duty shift ended, he gratefully turned the infirmary over to Dr. Cole and headed for his quarters. A quick shower later, he snagged his mum's gift and started for the mess hall.

Rodney was stringing lights into the tree. It shook from his efforts, and he was perched precariously on the top of a ladder. That Ronon held the ladder steady did little to soothe Carson's nerves. The Satedan had a wry sense of humor, and Carson wouldn't put it past him to scare Rodney just a wee bit. Of course, Rodney kept fussing at him, swearing up and down that Ronon had moved the ladder every two minutes. Carson made his way over to Sheppard, who sat at a nearby table and watched the show.

"Hey, Doc." Sheppard sat up straight. "Welcome to the party."

"Colonel," Carson said wryly. "How long have they been goin' at it?"

Sheppard shrugged. "About ten minutes. Just before you got here, Ronon shook the ladder to get a reaction."

Carson barely stopped himself from dropping his head onto the table. Sheppard seemed entirely too thrilled at the thought, and Carson had to admit that it must have been a hilarious sight. "So, where did he get the lights?"

"Not sure." Sheppard sat forward. "Though, knowing McKay, he made them himself."

Carson sat back to watch the two men near the Christmas tree, seeing Ronon grin. It was an unusual sight, and he soon realized what Sheppard found so amusing. When Rodney would give Ronon an instruction, Ronon would immediately obey only for Rodney to change what he wanted. While frustrating, Ronon made the best out of the situation and managed to get a few laughs in during the ordeal.

Once the lights were strung, though, Rodney carefully stepped back to the ground. Moving to the table, he glared. "If I ever ask him to do something like that again. . . ."

"Shoot me!" Ronon interrupted.

Sheppard and Carson laughed. While Ronon meant that he wouldn't want to volunteer, it came out sounding like he wanted the other two men to put him out of his misery.

"Oh, har-de-har-har." Rodney rolled his eyes before jabbing a thumb over his shoulder. "Anyone else hungry?"

"Aye," Carson agreed. He gathered the ornament he'd brought and stopped next to the tree to add it to the branches. The small blue and white square stood out among the green branches and white lights, but he was satisfied. His mum would be proud to see it displayed in such a fashion. His contribution finished, he followed Rodney to the serving line and filled his plate.

oOo

Teyla was late for dinner, the result of an unexpected trip to the mainland at Halling's request. He'd discovered some of Charin's things that had been left behind and had wanted Teyla to have them. She'd arrived back on Atlantis somewhat subdued but looking forward to time spent with her team. While rambunctious, the three men—four, if Carson appeared—had a soothing effect on her. They were her family more than anything, and she needed them close.

The mess hall lights had been dimmed so that a massive Christmas tree could take center stage. During their first year on Atlantis, Colonel Sheppard had told her about the holiday and the tree and the giving of gifts. Cut off from Earth, however, the Expedition had celebrated in a poignant fashion. Now, small trinkets hung off of the tree's branches, and Teyla recognized several of them. The watch that had belonged to Elizabeth's father held a prominent place, the Expedition's leader not worried about whether it would be stolen or not. A Santa holding a surfboard was close to the bottom, and Teyla wondered exactly how Sheppard had known to bring the thing. A flash of blue and white showed that Carson had added his touch, the Scottish flag set out in an inconspicuous place. She did not see anything that struck her as Ronon's, but she did not put it past the Satedan to sneak in here in the middle of the night to add his own memory.

Deciding that the evening meal could wait, Teyla turned on her heel and left the mess hall. Most of the Expedition had eaten, but a large number of them still hung about and chatted. She did not mind the larger-than-normal crowd, but she also wanted to give the tree an Athosian touch. In her quarters, she crossed to her bedside table and picked up the necklace she'd shown Carson the night before. It represented hope to her, a symbol that the grief she felt would not last forever. Tucking it into her hand, she again walked to the mess hall and stood in front of the tree.

So many things had happened since John and his people had come to Atlantis. Teyla allowed her eyes to study each ornament. They had lost people from the very start, but those from Earth proved stronger than she could have imagined. They thrived here, in Pegasus. As she had once told the Athosians, they were the brightest hope for the Pegasus galaxy. Oh, she had not used those exact words, but the thought was the same.

Stepping forward, Teyla lifted the necklace and wrapped it around a branch. It did not have gold or silver to allow it to stand out from the branches. The small blue and white stone almost blended with the lights someone had added. But she knew it was there, and she understood what it meant.

A subconscious reaction told her that she was no longer alone. She turned as Carson reached out to finger the stone. It rested on his fingers for just a moment before he allowed it to drop and swing gently. "Charin?"

"Yes." Teyla gave him a sad smile. "She would have loved Christmas."

"Aye," he agreed. His eyes moved as he also studied the tree, stopping to stare at the pocket watch Elizabeth had added. "Sometimes, the best way to remember a loved one is to celebrate in spite of the pain."

Teyla agreed. Carson was wiser than most realized, and she tucked those words away for when she needed them again. Charin would not want her to grieve forever, and Teyla intended to honor that desire. Pulling herself from her thoughts, she left Carson studying the tree's branches and filled her plate. Perhaps one day, she would wear the necklace that Halling had thoughtfully given to her, but it meant more than a simple adornment. The attached memories, what it symbolized, was too important for casual wear. And she felt like Carson had understood.

As she settled at the table, Teyla watched him accept a cup of hot chocolate from one of the kitchen staff, his polite smile drawing an answering grin from the woman. Every person here was unique, but Carson had a quality about him that wasn't found in every other person.

"Hey, you okay?" Rodney's question interrupted her thoughts, and Teyla realized she'd just been caught staring.

"Yes." She smiled at Rodney, Ronon, and Sheppard, pulling her gaze—and mind—away from Carson. "I was merely thinking."

John turned to glance in the direction. "Anything you want to share?"

"No." Teyla met his eyes, thankful that her role as her people's leader meant she could hide her feelings. Carson had headed toward the table, and she did not want to make him uncomfortable or reveal her own emotions so easily. "I am simply tired, and the trip to the mainland brought up some memories."

John accepted that as Carson slipped into his chair. Teyla ate her meal and watched as people continued to bring ornaments for the tree while she ignored the surprising but welcome stirrings of attraction. She had felt them last night, after Carson left her quarters, and she understood that they were not going away. She simply needed time to figure out what to do next.

oOo

The next day, Rodney took an ill-fated flight in a Jumper that had been damaged. For several hours, he'd been trapped in the submerged Jumper, hallucinating Samantha Carter, as he worked to survive. Sheppard had worried more than he cared to admit, and he now sat next to the physicist's bed in the infirmary. Carson was hovering about, a clear testament to how worried the doctor really was, and John knew that the rest of his team wouldn't be too far away. Now, though, he enjoyed ribbing McKay. "I'm just saying that it's _cool_ how we managed to find you."

"Oh, yes, a massive man-eating whale circling around my crashed Jumper is 'cool.'" Rodney rolled his eyes.

"Not that," Sheppard replied. "Though, when you think about it, seeing it swim overhead was cool, too."

Rodney stopped to ponder that thought. "I'll give you that." He frowned. "You know, in all the time I was trapped in there, I don't think I ever really believed you wouldn't come get me."

"Sure you did." Sheppard shrugged. "The important thing is you didn't do anything stupid while you were waiting."

"Oh, thank you for that." Rodney shifted in the bed, groaning dramatically. "Why don't we talk about something else?"

"Like how you dreamed up Colonel Carter?"

"Okay, let's talk about. . . ."

Ronon chose that moment to interrupt. "Hey." Teyla wasn't far behind him, and the three entertained their bedridden friend for the evening. Sheppard watched closely, however. As much as he hated to admit it, Rodney's scare in the submerged Jumper had shaken him. It wasn't a Wraith attack or another of their many and sundry bad guys this time. It was a mechanical failure, and it seemed pointless to almost lose a friend over something so trivial. Next time, _he_ would fly the damaged Jumper so that Rodney could figure out how to do the rescuing. It likely wouldn't take as long, provided McKay and Zelenka didn't argue their time away.

Finally, Carson came over and shooed them all out of the infirmary. Sheppard waved to McKay, who looked quite forlorn, and promised to save him some blue Jell-O if there was any of it left in the mess hall.

oOo

Rodney settled back and closed his eyes as Sheppard and crew left the infirmary. While he liked having his friends around, it would make for a much quieter rest without them there. Sheppard's insistence on how "cool" it had been to be underwater bugged Rodney, though he didn't want to admit it. Of course, the colonel hadn't nearly died that day, despite what Carson said.

Speaking of the doctor. . . . "Rodney." Carson stopped next to the bed. "How are you feelin'?"

"Tired." Rodney cracked his eyelids and peeked at his friend. "But thanks for asking."

"Aye." Carson pulled a chair close and sat down. "If you don't mind, I thought I'd sit for a bit before headin' back to the lab."

"I don't need a babysitter!" Rodney sputtered indignantly.

"I know that." Carson met his eyes. "I simply thought I'd sit with a friend."

"Oh." Rodney glanced around, trying to find something to talk about. He and Carson were close, but they rarely spent time like this. The infirmary was Carson's domain, and Rodney's views on medicine meant he didn't put much stock in what happened here unless it saved his life. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to be pain-free and sitting in the mess hall with the rest of his team, not trapped in a hospital bed. Thinking of the mess hall reminded him of the Christmas tree and the Christmas mystery he'd been given. "Hey, Carson?"

"Aye?"

"Have you. . .you know. . .gotten anything?"

Carson blinked at him. "I'm sorry?"

"The Secret Santa." Rodney motioned with his hand. "Has he brought you anything?"

"No." Carson frowned. "An' how do you know it's a 'he?'"

"I don't," Rodney admitted. "I suppose 'he' could be a 'she,' but I just assumed that it was a 'he' because it's a secret Santa." Even he could hear how silly that assumption was.

Carson didn't comment, choosing that moment to stand up and wincing as the movement pulled at his own cuts and bruises from the avalanche. "Well, I figure that this person, whoever they may be, has a specific list."

"And apparently I'm not on it." Rodney frowned. "I mean, who has saved this base more times than I can count? Hmm? Why not give that man a gift?"

Carson rolled his eyes, telling Rodney how self-centered that statement had been. "Well, Rodney, I wouldn't worry too much. As I said, I'm sure this person has a specific list and a specific reason for doing what he—or _she__—_is doing."

"Yeah." Rodney frowned. "You leaving me, too?"

"I _am_ workin' on research in my lab."

"Oh, yeah? What're you researching?"

"Well, if you must know, I'm hopin' to finish that retrovirus soon."

Rodney blinked at him. "The one that turned Sheppard into a bug?"

"Aye," Carson admitted. "I've already spoken with the colonel, an' he understands why I'm workin' on it."

Rodney nodded, and Carson went his way without another word. Even he could see the benefit of having that retrovirus. It had just been bad luck that Sheppard got infected, but Carson still didn't want to accept that. Not totally, anyway. Rodney leaned back into his pillow and stared at the ceiling. It was only a matter of time before Sheppard or Ronon appeared to "keep him company," and he figured he could bug one of them about the secret Santa.

oOo

_He stood in front of the Christmas tree late that night, smiling at the difference it made. Those in the mess hall ate slower, smiled wider, and seemed somewhat calmer than they had yesterday. Someone had added a nativity under the tree, and he crouched down to study each of the hand-painted pieces. It was exquisite work, really, and he wondered just who might have had the skill—and time—to make something like that._

_Christmas was such a magical time of year. He looked up, catching sight of Teyla's necklace. The Athosian's sad expression when she'd hung it there had spoken volumes to anyone watching. She had shared a part of her that day. Elizabeth's pocket watch memorialized another loved one lost. These people had suffered and overcome, and he wished he could do more for more of them._

_With his hands in his pockets, he left the mess hall and walked to his quarters. It was time to deliver his next gift, and it wouldn't be Dr. McKay's. No, he was waiting to deliver that particular one when the good physicist needed it most._

~TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Halling and Jinto contacted Atlantis the following day, asking if they might spend the night in the city in preparation for a trading mission with Sheppard's team. It seemed that Jinto wanted to see the colonel, and John was happy to grant the request. Teyla, however, did not discover all of this until Ronon found her in the sparring room. She had been teaching several women the basics of using the Bantos rods, one of the things that occupied her time between missions. When Ronon appeared, Teyla dismissed her class and waited until the women had left to face him.

He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "Halling and Jinto are here."

Teyla blinked and then shoved her Bantos rods into her bag. She hurried through Atlantis, the class not having physically challenged her in any way. She left her bag beside the door in her quarters and took the time to change into her base uniform. Halling and Jinto would not expect her to drop everything for them, but she did wonder why they had appeared earlier than planned.

She found Halling in the mess hall, staring at the Christmas tree. Teyla smiled at the sight of the tall Athosian's confusion, and she knew when he located her own contribution. Her presence caused him to turn, and he bent to touch his forehead to hers. They shared the typical Athosian greeting, symbolically sharing a breath, before he straightened. "You have chosen to display my gift this way?"

Teyla nodded, knowing he was not angry. "Yes." She turned to the tree. "It is a tradition on Earth, and I thought it could not hurt to celebrate with them."

"This tradition?"

"A holiday." Teyla motioned to a table, and Halling followed her. "It is called Christmas. The tree, lights, and decorations are a part of that celebration. It is a time when they give gifts, spend time with their families, and celebrate the birth of a baby."

"A single baby?"

"Yes." She pointed to the nativity under the tree. "Many people on Earth believe that God came in the form of a human to save them from their sins. Christmas celebrates that birth."

Halling studied the tree as he thought about it. "How does decorating the tree relate?"

Teyla hesitated. "I am not sure."

"And you chose to put the necklace there because. . . .?"

She smiled, the memory of Carson's words the night before floating through her head. "Dr. Beckett said that, sometimes, the best way to remember someone is to celebrate in spite of the pain." The smile faded, and she allowed her emotions to show. "While I miss Charin and will feel that loss for many years to come, I believe she would want me to celebrate this season. It is as much a memorial to her as it is a chance to learn more about Earth."

Halling nodded. "Dr. Beckett was right."

Teyla did not respond. She neither felt the need nor had the desire. Her feelings for Carson were a surprise as she had not thought she would find someone from another world who could put her own emotions into words. At one point in time, she'd thought that she and Colonel Sheppard might be destined for a relationship. But she had set those thoughts aside when John did not act on the chemistry between them. Teyla understood. He was their leader, and he felt he could not afford to compromise their lives off world should they share a romantic relationship.

Carson, however, was different. The doctor was a gentle spirit, a true healer, and Teyla was often amused to see him so awkward and uncertain when outside of the infirmary. Inside the infirmary doors, though, he turned into a force of nature should the health of one of his friends or patients be threatened. And that ferocity extended to situations off world. It was Carson who turned Ellia's wrath from Rodney, who risked his own in an attempt to retrieve the Iratus eggs for Colonel Sheppard, who recently remained behind on Atlantis when he could have easily escaped just out of a desire to see that she was safe and well. That kind of caring did not come easily, and Teyla knew from personal experience how draining it could be. Yet Carson rose each morning with the same level of commitment to his friends, and she had just begun to see beneath the surface. She had to admit that she liked what she saw.

Halling drew her out of her thoughts when he stirred. "I should allow you to rest before the mission tomorrow."

Teyla smiled at him. "I am sorry. My thoughts have been wandering lately." She rose with him. "I look forward to spending the time with you tomorrow. And with Jinto."

Halling grinned at the mention of his son. "He grows a bit more each day. Soon, he will be as tall as I am."

She chuckled at that. "Yes. But he has been taught well, and I believe he will grow into a fine man."

Halling nodded and left her in the mess hall. Teyla turned back to the Christmas tree with a smile. It felt good to be among her own kind, even if for a short time. She missed the communal nature of life with the Athosians, but she knew she could do more good here than with them.

Pushing aside all of the thoughts and questions in her mind, Teyla returned to her quarters for the evening, content with life as it had come to her. She had a wonderful Athosian family, a great set of friends, and the hope that one of them might become something much more. She could not say when those feelings had turned to hope, but she chose to enjoy them rather than question them.

oOo

Jinto forced himself to stay awake long after his father slept. He knew his father would not be happy with him for what he was about to do, but he had promised Wex that he would see if their favorite playground was still around. The two boys had not been allowed to explore Atlantis since going to the mainland, but they had fond memories of playing Hide and Seek, as Colonel Sheppard called it, down these corridors.

With Halling sleeping soundly, Jinto crept out of the guest quarters and down the corridor. He was careful to avoid the occasional roving patrol as he smiled at the memories. He missed playing in these halls, though the inclination to impersonate Colonel Sheppard was passing with each day. He supposed he was simply growing older, but he still thought the colonel the best thing that happened to the Athosian people. He wanted to become a warrior just like Colonel Sheppard and would do everything in his power to see that dream fulfilled.

Movement up ahead caught his attention, and he ducked around a corner. Peeking out, Jinto spotted a form keeping to the shadows and creeping along the corridor. Someone clearly did not want to be discovered. The man looked around, his features darkened by the night lighting in the city, and crept forward. Jinto followed, the teachings of his father standing in good stead as he silently trailed the man. A door hissed open, and the form ducked onto a balcony. Jinto hurried to peer around the corner and was surprised at who he saw.

The man glanced up, his own surprise covering his face. In his hand, he held a package wrapped in bright red paper with bearded men. Seeing that it was only Jinto, his eyes sparkled as he placed a finger to his lips in a quieting motion. Trusting this particular man implicitly, Jinto nodded his understanding. He wouldn't say anything about what he'd seen.

As the man passed by him, he whispered, "What's in the package?"

"A surprise." The cryptic answer was just like this person, and Jinto followed him into the hall. The man put another finger to his lips and, after eliciting a promise that he would keep quiet, rushed back the way he'd come.

Jinto glanced at the package lying on the bench. It was quite obvious to anyone who passed by, but it was obviously meant for someone special. A woman, maybe? Jinto grinned at the thought of this person giving a gift to a woman as Athosian customs dictated and hoped she understood the meaning behind the gift. _If_ it was a woman.

The long day settling in and his memories secure, Jinto made his way back to his quarters. His father still slept, and he was careful to avoid making any noise when he slipped into his bed. As he fell asleep, he thought about the "surprise" and figured he would ask about it when he had the chance.

oOo

_He stood just inside his quarters, letting out a deep breath as he pulled the gloves from his hands. Knowing that Rodney and Sheppard were on the case made him careful that none of his fingerprints or hair got caught in the tape or wrappings. It was tedious, to be sure, but it was necessary for his plan._

_Jinto, however, had been an unexpected development. He ran a hand through his hair as he kicked off his shoes. The young Athosian was precocious, but he believed the boy understood that nothing should be said. As it was, he would have to take further precautions to avoid being seen in the future. The delivery of the next few gifts needed to be precise, and he knew that he had his work cut out for him._

oOo

There were worse ways to spend an afternoon than trading for supplies. Ronon stood in the market place of the planet, banned from the negotiation table after his actions on Belkan. Right now, Sheppard, Teyla, and Halling were inside the small house that acted as a meeting hall while Ronon and McKay were left to their own devices. McKay had his tablet out and his nose stuck into whatever so fascinated him, and Ronon wandered around aimlessly. He found a long piece of wood and picked it up, surprised at its weight and density.

Years ago, before he entered the Academy of Sateda and became a warrior, Ronon had watched his father create works of art with nothing more than a knife. The wealthy of Sateda paid well for the treasures, and Ronon had begun to learn the trade. Over the years, he had let it go in favor of simply surviving. But life on Atlantis had allowed him to indulge in that once-forgotten pastime. Now, he studied the long, thin piece of wood he'd found, weighing it, gauging how straight it was, and in general seeing a plan form in his mind. He needed a new set of Bantos rods, having broken the set he used the last time he and Sheppard had sparred.

Ronon grinned at the look on Sheppard's face. Just last night, the two men had filled the gym with the sound of wood against wood as they honed their skills. Sheppard might never measure up to Ronon's level of skill, always preferring his P90 over hand-to-hand combat, but the wiry colonel was more dangerous than the average human. Ronon had attacked with almost everything in him, and the Bantos rod in his right hand had splintered. The session came to a screeching halt as both men stared in amazement at the chunk of wood on the ground.

"I didn't know those things could break like that," Sheppard had said.

"Neither did I." Ronon's agreement signaled the end of the evening, though the Satedan knew that he could have continued fighting if necessary. Now, he carried the long piece of wood over to where McKay sat and carefully measured out the length of a proper Bantos rod. He could get three out of this piece of wood, and he spent the next bit of time cutting the wood, removing the outer bark to reveal the strong, dark grain underneath, and in general annoying McKay. By the time Sheppard, Teyla, and Halling appeared, Ronon's hands had found their rhythm, and he looked forward to using this set once his masterpieces were complete.

oOo

Carson glanced up from his workbench as Colonel Sheppard's team dutifully filed into the infirmary. None of them looked injured—surprisingly—and Ronon carried three pieces of wood. McKay complained that the "caveman" had taken up carving, and Carson chuckled at the alliteration. He let the physicist rant for a bit while heading to do Sheppard's post-mission physical. The remainder of the team dropped into chairs or hopped onto the beds to wait their turn. Carson was known to be the only one allowed to treat McKay and Ronon, and the other doctors preferred to let him complete the post-mission checks on Sheppard and Teyla as well, barring an emergency.

"Rodney." Carson stopped the tirade. "Give the big man a break."

Rodney glared. "A break? C'mon, Carson! He practically smacked me upside the head with one of those things!"

Ronon shrugged. "But I didn't."

Sheppard, who was finished with his check-up, grinned. "I woulda loved to see that."

"Oh, ha, ha." Rodney rolled his eyes. "Can't you ask him to stop?"

Carson frowned as he did Rodney's check-up quickly. "Stop what? As far as I can tell, the lad found something to keep himself occupied—much like you did with your tablet."

"Except I'm not swinging my tablet around and nearly hitting people with it." McKay's tirade barely paused as Carson moved on to Ronon.

The Satedan made no effort to conceal his amusement. "What's wrong, McKay? Afraid I might actually hit you one day?"

"What? No." Rodney shuffled from foot to foot. "You know, if we're finished here, I have. . .um. . .work to get done." He headed for the door, drawing a chuckle from Sheppard and Ronon.

Carson moved on to the next patient, Teyla, as Ronon and Sheppard also made a beeline for the door. With the three rambunctious men out of his infirmary, Carson turned to Teyla with a smile. "How did the mission go, love?"

She returned the grin, and it made his pulse rise just a bit. "It went as expected." She also submitted to the post-mission physical but didn't rush off of the hospital bed. "We got what we wanted—at the price we wanted—and Halling will take the seed back to the mainland to plant within the next few months."

Carson pocketed his penlight, enjoying these few moments with her. "I have to tell you, havin' the seasons reversed here from wha' I'm used to back on Earth is a bit odd. I know it's Christmas, but I feel like it should be cold and snowy outside. Or rainy, at the least. Havin' it warm an' sunny is a wee bit. . . ."

"I understand." She rushed to explain. "On Athos, our season were not so pronounced. We had a subtle shift from spring to summer, and the temperature did not change as drastically."

Carson smiled, not quite believing he was discussing the weather with Teyla. All that morning, he'd thought about the evenings they'd spent together recently. Och, the night before had been at a team dinner, but he had noticed Teyla's gaze wandering to him on more than one occasion. He had been hard-pressed to keep from grinning each time and had decided that day that he wanted to know if what they shared could become more. His relationship with Lieutenant Cadman hadn't ended as suddenly as it seemed, and the idea of moving on was nowhere near painful. He just didn't want to give Teyla the impression that he was taking advantage of her.

As he considered all of this, Teyla pushed off of the hospital bed. "I should let you get back to work."

"Aye." He waited until she'd turned to go before deciding that it was now or never. "Teyla?"

She glanced back at him. "Yes?"

Carson stared at her, amazed as always at her beauty. Her brown eyes caught the harsh lights of the infirmary and hinted at flecks of gold in them. He pushed aside the urge to stare and finally found his voice. "I was wonderin' if you'd like to have dinner with me." He felt a flush start at his collar and hoped it wouldn't show before she left. "I mean, personally. Not with the team." There! He'd asked!

Teyla turned to face him completely, a small smile playing around her lips. "I would love to, Carson."

Her simple acceptance, as well as use of his given name, told him she'd understood. He let out a breath disguised as a chuckle. "Good! Erm. . .would seven this evenin' work for you?"

Her smile blossomed, and it made her eyes sparkle. "Yes."

"I'll see you then." He stayed standing beside the bed, watching her go in what he hoped was a composed manner. At the door, she lifted a hand in a wave as she offered another brilliant smile. Then, after the door closed behind her, he let out the breath he'd held and dropped into a nearby chair.

He had a date!

oOo

"Colonel." Lorne's voice, low and indicating something might be wrong, pulled Sheppard out of his computer. Since he'd had several days following his adventure in the avalanche to himself, he'd caught up on paperwork and wanted to stay that way. Writing a report on a negotiation, though, was a bit like making drying paint sound exciting. Lorne's interruption, while possibly signaling something bad, was welcome.

Sheppard glanced up. "Come in, Major." He stood to clear his office's only other chair as Lorne waved about a package wrapped with bright red paper. "What's that?"

"I wanted to ask you the same thing." Lorne grinned ever so slightly. "I found it on the balcony where I stretch before my morning run."

Sheppard studied the small package. "Know what it is?"

"Nope." Lorne frowned. "Sir, should we be worried that someone is leaving gifts around the city?"

"I don't know." Sheppard shrugged. "I mean, they're not harmful in any way. Elizabeth got a pitcher, which McKay checked out thoroughly. There's no sign of any kind of transmitter or bug or anything. And I got a surfboard. It's almost as if this guy—or gal—simply wants to remain anonymous."

Lorne dropped into the chair. "Yeah, I noticed that as well." He held up the package. "I guess I just hoped you'd know who was doing this so I could say thank you."

Sheppard shook his head. "Wasn't me. Though, when we do find the guy, I'm going to make sure they get something _really_ nice. After all, that board they bought me isn't cheap." He pointed. "Open it."

Lorne rolled his eyes and carefully opened the package, the exact opposite of Sheppard's hurried rush to find out what was inside his gift. John felt it only fair that he saw Lorne's reaction after Lorne had been around to see his. He wasn't expecting the set of paintbrushes that unrolled from a cloth case. Lorne let out a low whistle. "Someone has been paying attention."

Sheppard frowned. "Paintbrushes?"

"Yeah. I. . .ah. . .paint." Lorne shrugged. "In my spare time. It's what my mom and I did on the weekends."

"Paint?" Sheppard blinked. "As in, canvas, oils, watercolors, acrylics, landscapes?"

"Yep." Lorne held up one of the brushes and examined it closely. "These are some of the best on the market. Black sable bristles, pewter-colored handles. Sir, I was thinking of purchasing these the next time I went home."

"So, who would know that?"

"I don't know." Lorne shook his head. "I don't talk about my art much for obvious reasons. My team knows, and someone might have overheard. But who?"

Sheppard ran a hand over his face. "I have no idea."

"You're not worried?"

"Worried? No." Sheppard grinned. "I mean, how bad can these be? It is Christmas, after all. Granted, on Atlantis, nothing is ever what it seems, but I would take it at face value for now."

"Right." Lorne stood, still not sounding convinced. "I'll keep an eye out, Sir. See if anyone's acting suspicious. At the very least, I'd like to say thank you to whoever left these gifts."

Sheppard couldn't agree more. As the major left his office, he frowned. A Secret Santa was loose on Atlantis. Somehow, that sounded a lot more ominous than it should.

oOo

Rodney appeared in the mess hall long before any of his other team members. He filled his tray and carried it to their normal table, tucking into his meal with gusto. The lights had been dimmed—again—to let the Christmas tree shine, and he had to admit that it looked quite pretty. Had anyone asked, he would swear up and down that he just happened to have the lights for the tree lying around his lab. No one needed to know he'd stayed up all night to get the sparkling bulbs just right. He didn't celebrate Christmas, not since he'd been a child. But the allure of the lights was a secret that Rodney rarely allowed to escape.

Sheppard arrived and set down his tray. "Lorne got a gift," he announced as Rodney took a sip of the bad coffee.

"Oh!" Rodney grimaced, not liking either the news or the coffee. But he didn't complain about the latter seeing as Carson had made provision until his next shipment arrived. "Of course he got one."

"Feeling left out?" Sheppard asked.

Ronon pulled out a chair and dropped into it. "Feeling left out of what?"

Rodney held up a finger. "Just because I asked about the Secret Santa doesn't mean I don't like getting gifts, too! I mean, what do. . . ." His voice trailed off as he realized something. "Oh, of course. I get it now!"

The two men at the table blinked at him. Sheppard frowned. "Get what?"

Rodney shook his head. "So typical! Of course you and Lorne would get something. You're flyboys, and there's one thing all these women love. It's the flyboys!"

Sheppard glared at him. "You think this is some woman trying to get our attention?"

"What else could it be?"

"Elizabeth got a gift, too," Ronon pointed out helpfully.

Rodney made a circling motion with his fork. "Yeah, well, maybe it's just. . . I don't know, a fan of hers trying to kiss up."

Sheppard's face clearly said he didn't believe it. "A fan?"

"Yeah." Rodney shook his head. "Look, did Teyla get anything yet?"

"I don't know." Sheppard glanced around. "Where is Teyla?"

Ronon grinned. "I saw her and Beckett headed to a balcony with a picnic basket. Looked like a date."

There was silence as both Rodney and Sheppard stared at the Satedan. Rodney recovered first. "A date? With Beckett? What was she thinking?"

Sheppard grinned. "Go Carson!"

Glaring at the interruption, Rodney went back to his food. Sheppard didn't seem too concerned about the Secret Santa, but Rodney was determined to figure out who it was. Then, maybe, he'd get his coffee!

~TBC


	7. Chapter 7

The next day, Carson traveled back to M4G-377. His bruises and cuts from the avalanche were healing well, and he wanted to check in with the people he'd treated for the "winter fever." Sheppard wanted to accompany him, but duty called him on a different off world mission. Carson arrived in the gate room in time to watch Sheppard's team step through the event horizon. Teyla caught sight of him and sent a little smile his way that sent a shiver down his spine. Their date the previous evening had gone better than he'd hoped, and they had sat under the stars and talked until way too late. This morning, he'd had a difficult time getting up, but it had been well worth it.

"You ready, Doc?" Lorne's voice pulled Carson from his thoughts, and he realized he'd been staring at the inactive gate with a silly grin on his face.

"Aye." He tightened the straps on his backpack and tried to look a little less smitten. But it was difficult with the memory of Teyla's laugh in his head. Last night, she had almost giggled as he shared escapades from his childhood. Once he'd explained the fairy tale of the frog who turned into a prince, she'd appreciated his story about chasing his baby sister with a frog. He and two of his brothers—Calum and Kenneth—had insisted that she kiss "Prince Charming." Teyla had responded by saying she'd been the girl that the boys dreaded because _she_ would slip the slimy frog or snake into their packs before they went hunting. Carson had laughed and asked why that didn't surprise him. Teyla had simply shrugged, her cheeky grin telling him that she would do it again in a heartbeat if the opportunity presented itself. If she did pull something like that with Rodney, Carson hoped he'd be able to keep his laughter at bay long enough to treat the physicist for his panic-induced injuries.

Now, however, he pulled his mind back to the matter at hand as he boarded a Jumper with Lorne and the major's team. Elizabeth had insisted that they accompany him, and Carson understood. While he could—theoretically—hold his own in a fight, he was a doctor. Lorne was there because he'd been involved in the negotiations with the villagers.

On the other side of the wormhole, the Jumper flew over the snow-covered terrain. Carson listened as Lorne's team talked about skiing, snowboard, and inner tubing. He quite liked skiing from the small bit of experience he'd had as a child, but he was too put off by the recent avalanche. Bruises that hadn't hurt in days suddenly made their presence known as he remembered the tiny pocket of snow in which he'd been buried.

Lorne noticed how he shifted uncomfortably. "You okay, Doc?"

"Aye," Carson said again. "Just remind me to stay away from the base of the mountain."

While Coughlin and Reed smirked, they didn't say anything. At the village, Faren greeted them, his eyes going directly to Carson. "Doctor, we heard you had escaped relatively unscathed."

"Yes, I did." Carson smiled. "Both Colonel Sheppard and I made a full recovery."

"It is good to hear." The man glanced at Lorne. "We were concerned that you might not want to return."

"Och, of course we would." Carson shook his head. "It could ha'e happened ta anyone here."

"I suppose," Faren said, giving Carson a strange look. "The clinic you set up last time is still in the same place, Dr. Beckett."

Carson followed the man, ignoring Lorne as the major gave his team instructions to spread out. Faren didn't seem to be too upset as he obviously realized that Lorne was military and trained to do such things. Inside the clinic, a group of villagers met Carson, and he smiled as he saw healthy faces that had been wan and unwell the last time he'd visited. For the next several hours, he checked lungs and ears, dispensed antibiotics to two children with ear infections, stitched up a hand that had been cut on an axe, and soothed worried mothers about their children's welfare. Lunch time arrived, and he sat down on a stool with a relieved sigh.

Faren arrived with a hot meal, followed by Lorne. The major grinned. "Hey, Doc, there's a market today, with lots of unique stuff. Did you want to get any Christmas shopping done?"

Faren blinked. "Christmas?"

"Aye, it's a holiday on our world." Carson pushed to his feet. "One of the traditions is givin' gifts to those we consider friends." He turned to Lorne, not admitting that he'd sent his Christmas list home to his mum and she had shopped for him. "Might not be a bad idea, Major."

"Thought so." Lorne jabbed a thumb over his finger. "I'll wait outside."

Carson nodded and ate quickly, relishing the simple but tasty meal. Faren commented that he had some arrangements to make and left the doctor alone. Carson was okay with that. After their date the night before, he wanted to get something for Teyla that would be appropriate. Something that told her he cared about her but wasn't overly sentimental, either. And Rodney could do with some new gadget, though Carson was at a loss as to what this world would offer the physicist. Ronon wore leather wristbands all the time, however, and he seemed to thrive in this sort of environment. Figuring it couldn't hurt to spice up his planned gifts with a bit of Pegasus flavor, Carson pulled on his thick coat and headed for the market.

His first find was a thick brown armband for Ronon. It would extend up the ex-Runner's arm like a gauntlet and provide protection the next time Ronon went hunting with a long bow. And he knew Ronon had already done so because Teyla told him last night. Thinking of her made Carson smile again as he began the haggling process. Instead, he discovered that Faren had arranged for his purchases to be paid by someone else.

Moving on to the next stall, Carson looked over the handmade jewelry, not seeing anything that caught his attention. Teyla had plenty of braided leather pieces, and Elizabeth didn't wear that style. He strolled on past, finding a hammered metal flask for Radek and a small knife for Colonel Sheppard. It resembled the Scottish _sgian-__dubh_, and he knew the colonel could easily hide it on his person when he went off world.

When no other gifts were forthcoming, Carson made his way back to the Jumper. Lorne waited, also carrying a few packages. Coughlin and Reed each had picked up a gift, as well. Carson supposed it was this Secret Santa that had started him thinking about gifts, but he wouldn't complain. Instead, he thanked Faren for his hospitality and promised to return in a month's time barring any emergencies. Back on Atlantis, he debriefed Elizabeth, endured his post-mission physical, and settled into his desk to fill out reports.

oOo

Sheppard's team was late. Elizabeth paced in her office, trying to put aside her concern for the four people still off world. They should have returned two hours ago, and she wondered if she should send Lorne's team after them. Carson had already come around, turning in his report and asking if the team had returned. Elizabeth had shaken her head, thanked him for the report, and watched him leave. Her CMO was worried—not an unusual state when Sheppard's team was off world—but there was more to it than that. She just couldn't put her finger on it.

Just as she would have contacted the planet, the gate started dialing. The wormhole established, and Sheppard's IDC came through. The team tumbled out of the wormhole with Sheppard yelling for them to "shut it down."

Elizabeth rushed down the stairs. "John?"

"Sorry we're late." Sheppard grinned, though he looked a little battered. "We got waylaid on our way back to the gate by a group of kids who thought they could rob us."

Elizabeth blinked. "Rob you? Of what?"

"Anything we carried." Sheppard shrugged. "We managed to fight them off but had to do a bit of backtracking to throw them off our scent."

Behind him, Rodney rolled his eyes. "Please. Sheppard just didn't want to open fire on them."

Sheppard glared. "They were kids, Rodney."

"Yeah. Kids with Genii guns."

Elizabeth held up a hand. "The Genii have been to that world?"

Sheppard rubbed his hand over the back of his neck, frowning when it came away dirty. "I don't think so. I think these kids came across an old cache of weapons and decided to use them."

Elizabeth truly looked at her team. All of them were covered in dirt as if the ground had exploded around them. "That's it? Just escape and evade?"

"Well. . . ." Sheppard hedged. "It was a bit more than that. They had set traps, and one of the grenades was a dud. Good thing, too. The other one threw up enough dirt and debris to disorient even Ronon."

The Satedan headed out of the gate room. "I was fine."

Elizabeth shook her head. "Get to the infirmary and get cleaned up. We'll debrief later."

Sheppard nodded and followed Ronon down the hallway. Teyla gave Elizabeth a strained smile, and the city leader saw the exhaustion in all of them. Turning back to her office, she shook her head. This would make for an interesting debriefing session.

oOo

Two hours later, post-mission physical and shower out of the way, Teyla walked purposefully toward Carson's quarters. Their dinner the night before had been one of the most enjoyable times she had shared with anyone in recent days. While she did not fully understand some of his stories, he told them in such a way that she still laughed. And he listened intently as she spoke about her upbringing on Athos. No one else, other than John, Ronon, and Lieutenant Ford, had shown that level of interest in her life. With Carson, however, it made her feel special to see his blue eyes sparkle and a smile tip his lips upward as he followed every detail of her tales.

Today, however, had been different. She'd seen the concern in his eyes as soon as he saw her. He moved to greet their team, allowing Rodney to distract him with a complaint about dirt in his eyes. The entire time Carson had treated the minor cuts on each of her teammates, however, he'd glanced her way to ensure that she would be okay. And she was. The cut on her face—a result of flying debris—stung fiercely, but she had escaped with little more than that. When he had finally come over to her, however, Teyla had tried to reassure him with a smile and a hand on his shoulder. Sheppard, Ronon, and Rodney were still in the infirmary, whining and arguing like usual. Rodney called it "snarking," and Teyla thought it an accurate description. Still, she had been hesitant to do much more than smile into Carson's eyes until she spoke with him about their relationship.

Now, however, she wanted to reassure him that she would, indeed, be okay. At his quarters, she waved a hand over the crystals to request entry, listening closely as she heard someone begin rushing around inside. There was a small thump, a muffled curse, and Carson opened the door as he rubbed his knee. "Teyla!"

She blinked. "Is this a bad time?"

"Och, no! Of course not!" He stepped back, careful to keep weight off of his knee but allowed her to step into his quarters.

Teyla glanced around, seeing the neatly made bed, pictures of his family on his desk, and medical journals on the coffee table. The table sat just a bit askew, and she realized he must have rammed his knee into it as he rushed to the door. Choosing not to draw attention to the clumsiness, she narrowed her eyes when she saw a strip of green and red paper peeking out from behind the couch. "I came to see how you are and let you know that I will be fine." She turned to face him, seeing how he smiled at her words. "I felt that the infirmary was not the place to. . . ."

"Aye," he agreed. "Teyla, I'm not ashamed of whatever we have, but I want others to know when we're ready. If we ever are ready."

"I agree." She glanced at the strip of paper. "Is that Christmas paper I see?"

His face turned red, a clear sign of embarrassment. "Aye."

"Why are you hiding it?"

"Because I was tryin' to keep the gifts a surprise until Christmas Day." His mumbled response made her smile. "I suppose it's a moot point now."

"Perhaps it isn't." Teyla faced him, her smile widening. "I believe the tradition calls for Santa to have elves?"

Carson blinked and then grinned. "Aye, that it does." He shook his head. "I sent a list home to my mum to get all of you gifts, an' they arrived with the last resupply mission. I had planned to give them to you personally, but this Secret Santa made me think about doing things anonymously."

She raised an eyebrow. "You bought me a gift?"

Rather than flushing again, his chin lowered as he shrugged. His expression stopped just short of serious, however, and Teyla found the look utterly endearing and. . . .She believed Elizabeth or Cadman would use the word "hot" to describe how he looked right then. Carson's voice lowered. "I did. But I'll let you have it tonight if you'll help me wrap the rest o' them."

Teyla nodded. "I accept."

He grinned and moved to the closet. Pulling out a round metal container, he found a pair of scissors and cut the plastic that sealed it. Teyla opened the lid and could not contain the laugh. "Popcorn!"

"Aye."

She popped a piece of caramel corn in her mouth, already wondering if she should mix the three types together or eat them separately. "Thank you, Carson."

"You're welcome, love."

They stood like that, the popcorn between them, for a few more moments, both of them sensing the change in their friendship toward something incredibly special. Teyla liked where her thoughts were headed and decided that Charin would approve as well. She ate another piece of popcorn, breaking the spell, and the two of them laughed as they wrapped presents. When her stomach growled, Carson called a halt to the fun and escorted her to the mess hall for dinner.

oOo

Sheppard hated it when people shot at him. He hated it even more when _kids_ shot at him. Their mission that day, a cakewalk, had turned sour in a hurry when a bunch of youngsters with guns thought they could take what they wanted. He hated that they'd been late, but knowing that none of the kids had been seriously injured soothed his mind. Of course, he'd allowed Ronon to string the kids up while Teyla informed the village of their location, but Elizabeth didn't need to know that.

Now, clean and hungry, Sheppard dropped into a chair in the mess hall with a larger than normal serving of food. He started eating, not surprised when Rodney and Ronon appeared a short time later. There was little talk as the three men demolished their meals, though Rodney started chattering about being tired when he reached his final cup of coffee. Sheppard frowned. It wasn't like the physicist to look so exhausted at the end of the day.

Lorne arrived just before McKay stood, and Sheppard chuckled as the physicist dropped back into the chair. He sat forward. "Major, how'd your mission go?"

"Fine, Sir." Lorne added salt to the pasta on his plate. "The doc patched up the people, and we did a bit of Christmas shopping at the market there."

Rodney blinked. "Christmas shopping?"

"Yeah. Thought it might be a good idea." Lorne shrugged.

Sheppard eyed McKay. "Major, do you know anything about this Secret Santa?"

"Wish I did." Lorne shook his head. "I would love to thank him for that gift."

McKay huffed. "When I figure out who it is. . . ."

Ronon straightened. "You'll do what?"

Sheppard held up a hand. "Hang on. Up until yesterday, I thought _Lorne_ was the Secret Santa. I mean, he's been getting into the Christmas spirit lately." He eyed the major sitting across from him. "But the arrival of your gift tells me you're not him."

"Or her," McKay said helpfully. "The other night, when I was in the infirmary after that whole submerged Jumper thing, Carson pointed out that the Secret Santa could be a woman. Since you two have received a gift, I'm thinking that's the more likely scenario."

Sheppard eyed the various women in the room, spying Elizabeth headed their way with her own tray. "Okay. Who would you suspect?"

"Oh, I don't know." McKay looked around as well.

Elizabeth chose that moment to interrupt. "May I join you gentlemen?"

Lorne popped out of his chair to snag one from a neighboring table. "We were just discussing the Secret Santa. McKay thinks it's a woman."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at Rodney. "You do?"

"Yeah." He briefly shared his conversation with Carson. "Lorne and Sheppard were kind enough to give me the wrapping paper off of their gifts, but I've not found any kind of fingerprints or hair or anything that could be used to identify him. Or her."

Elizabeth nodded. "And the wrapping from mine has already been thrown away." She glanced around. "I'm honestly not too concerned about this unless these gifts turn malicious. Right now, it appears that they're simply things that we all would appreciate and enjoy."

Rodney sighed. "Well, _you_ all do, anyway."

Sheppard rolled his eyes at McKay's chagrin and would have said something, but Carson and Teyla finally appeared. He let the conversation about the Secret Santa swirl around him as he watched the pair fill their trays and head toward the table. Carson was smiling an awful lot, and Teyla fairly glowed. Sheppard blinked. He was still impressed that the doc had asked Teyla out and even more impressed that she'd accepted the invitation. At one time, he had considered making a move, but the weight of the entire Expedition's safety had fallen on his shoulders. It was a good thing to see that someone made Teyla happy. The pair never really touched one another as they moved toward the team table, but Sheppard buried a grin at how close they stood and the obvious way they flirted with one another.

The small group shifted to accommodate the two newcomers, and the talk turned to Christmas in general and Lorne's Christmas party in particular. Only two days away, the party would be the highlight of the year for many of Atlantis's personnel, and Lorne had arranged for beer, wine, punch, and non-alcoholic eggnog for those who didn't drink. Sheppard's mind returned to Lorne's comment about Christmas shopping, and he decided that the major had a good idea after all.

oOo

_He watched the group laugh and joke with one another, a smile on his face as he left the mess hall. He had been worried about Jinto, but the young Athosian apparently kept his mouth shut. It had earned the boy his own gift, though he was still uncertain how he would get it to the mainland. But that did not matter to him. Jinto would be rewarded for keeping his identity a secret._

_In his quarters, he pulled out the red and white Santa paper. His wrapping skills were improving, and he figured it would be a good time to prepare McKay's gift. The physicist had looked positively horrible as he downed cup after cup of the mess hall's coffee. As he taped the paper to itself, he grinned. McKay would certainly appreciate this gift!_

~TBC


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** So this chapter has bounced from several different ideas into this story. It was hatched during NaNoWriMo this year, during a write-in at a local coffee shop. A huge thanks goes out to my NaNo writer's group who put up with my ramblings about stories, my giggles at odd times, and my obsession with all things SGA. :) As always, enjoy! ~lg

oOo

Lorne had outdone himself. Sheppard grinned when he reached the mess hall two days later, about twenty minutes early for the planned Christmas party. In the last two days, he'd fielded questions from curious soldiers, approved the use of a Jumper so that Lorne and his team could gather decorations off world, and generally found the inner child that enjoyed Christmas. He often stared at the surfboard, wishing he could share Elizabeth's ambivalence toward finding the Secret Santa. But life had taught him that everything had strings attached. He just didn't quite know what those strings would be. Even as he fantasized about taking that surfboard out one day when life slowed down a bit, he reminded himself that it might not be that easy. That he would likely regret it.

With the Christmas party now upon them, however, Sheppard had opted for a pair of khaki slacks and black button-down shirt. Lorne had planned the party to be a casual affair so that men and women accustomed to wearing a uniform could relax a bit. A few party-goers had arrived early, and it took John a full minute to recognize Dr. Cole. Carson's second-in-command wore a stunning turquoise blouse and black jeans that fit at all the right places, her flirtatious grin directed toward Lorne as the two finished setting out the snacks. Seeing Cole at the party likely meant Carson hadn't given himself the night off, and Sheppard made a mental note to correct that as soon as he figured out which members of his team would attempt to skip out on the fun.

The mess hall filled up, and Sheppard grinned when Teyla and Ronon appeared. The two looked the same as usual, though Teyla had exchanged the gray pants she typically wore for a traditional Athosian skirt. She looked incredible, and Sheppard wondered just what Carson would say when the Scot saw how she'd dressed. He was still grinning when the pair reached his table. "Hey."

Ronon grunted in greeting. "What's with the grin?"

Sheppard eyed Teyla. "Oh, no reason." Adopting a serious expression, he immediately looked at Ronon. "Seen Beckett or McKay?"

Teyla ducked her head at the mention of Beckett, but Sheppard saw the grin that crossed her features. So did Ronon, who shared a knowing look with Sheppard. The big Satedan sat back in his chair. "No."

Sheppard nodded. "I thought as much." He slapped his hands on his thighs. "Okay. Tell you what. I'll go drag McKay away from his lab. Teyla, go get Carson. Chewie, keep an eye on our table. And save some goodies for us."

Ronon looked supremely pleased with his assignment, and Teyla followed John from the mess hall. She didn't say anything, but he saw how her smile widened as she turned toward the infirmary. Loving the idea of two of his friends finding happiness with one another, Sheppard booked it down to McKay's lab.

Radek was just leaving, cursing in Czech. He looked up and saw Sheppard. "Colonel!"

"Radek." Sheppard's drawl encompassed the room. "Problems?"

"No." Zelenka glared in direct contradiction of his words. He looked as if he wanted to say more but thought the better of it, walking away while rattling off more unintelligible curses.

Sheppard looked at McKay, who was glaring at a computer screen. "Shut it down, Rodney. There's a party."

"I'm not going." The response was immediate.

Sheppard blinked. "Why?"

"Because, whoever this Secret Santa is, he—or she—is likely to strike tonight." Rodney glanced up. "I'm going to catch him. Or her."

"No, you're not."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Sheppard folded his arms and glared. "C'mon, McKay. This is the one time of year we actually get to sit back, hang out, eat some food, and almost pretend we're back on Earth. It's perfectly _normal_ to have a workplace Christmas party."

"Yeah, maybe for you." Rodney moved to another computer. "Radek even tried to convince me and failed. Don't think you'll succeed."

"I don't think, McKay." Sheppard moved to McKay's side. "Please. Just this once pretend you're normal."

That jibe got McKay's dander up, and he turned slowly. "Pretend I'm. . . .I'll have you know, Sheppard, that I have _never_ been normal! _No one_ is normal!"

Sheppard bit down on the comment that came to mind. "Rodney, it's just a party. Eat some food, drink some drinks, and listen to Perry Como, Bing Crosby, and whatever other music Lorne's picked out. Who knows? You might even get a kiss under the mistletoe."

"There's mistletoe?" Rather than having the desired effect, Rodney looked horrified. "I caught a girl under the mistletoe once."

"Oh yeah? How'd that go?"

"She hit me." McKay motioned to his face. "Broke my nose, actually."

"Then there's room for improvement." Sheppard closed McKay's laptop on his hands. "Let's go."

"I was in the middle of a simulation!"

"Not anymore." Sheppard stood in the doorway. "An hour. Two tops, and you can be back in your lab and running all the simulations you want."

Rodney stared for a moment. "Fine." He finished shutting down his computers and stomped to the door. "But two hours from now, I'll be back here for the rest of the night."

Satisfied he'd done his job, Sheppard followed his friend to the mess hall. Now, he just needed to figure out a way to keep Rodney at the party.

oOo

Teyla found Marie at a workstation and approached the other woman. "Have you seen Dr. Beckett?"

Marie pointed. "He's in his lab."

Teyla thanked the nurse and headed for Carson's lab. Soft Christmas music spilled out, and she recognized the melody of the song. He'd called it the "Carol of the Bells," and Teyla quite liked the upbeat, cheerful tune. Now, she peeked inside and saw that he wore his white lab coat over a white shirt, his tan uniform not at all out of place for the infirmary. He was completely focused on his research and did not even hear her approach. It gave her a chance to study him.

She had never dreamed that she would fall for a healer. The realization of how she felt for Carson seemed perfectly natural to Teyla, and she knew that she was not ready to make any life-changing decisions. But her attraction to Carson grew with every evening they spent together, every glance he sent her way, and every time she heard the way his voice warmed when he spoke with her. Neither of them were immune to the other, and she loved how he seemed both confident and yet uncertain with her. It was as if he feared hurting her, and Teyla appreciated that care. But a part of her wished that he would simply follow through on the desires she saw flickering in his blue eyes.

Finally, he sat back and caught sight of her standing in the door. "Och, Teyla! I didn't hear you."

She smiled and stepped inside. "Do not worry. I have only just arrived." As she moved to his side, he watched her, and she buried the thrill that seeing his reaction produced. Settling onto the stool next to his, she met his eyes. "Should you not be at the Christmas party?"

He turned back to his work. "Aye. But Dr. Cole hadn't had a day off in three weeks, an' I figured I'd give her the evening to enjoy the party."

"That is a wonderful idea, Carson." Teyla reached out and took his hand in hers. "But you should also take advantage of the party as well. I believe that much of the city's population will be there, and it would be beneficial to have more than one doctor present. Besides, I saw Dr. Jenkins in the infirmary. He can watch things here while you take the evening."

He gave her an indulgent smile, and Teyla saw that his resolve was weakening. Not above taking advantage of how she affected him, she slipped off of the stool without releasing his hand. "Come. John asked Ronon to save some 'goodies' for us."

Carson snickered at that, his hand turning in hers to lace their fingers together. "I'm certain that _won't_ happen with Ronon!" He sighed. "Okay. Just let me. . . ." He pointed to his office, his voice trailing off when she didn't stop.

Teyla tugged him toward the infirmary door. "No. If I allow you to return to your office, you will find something else that needs doing. It can wait."

As they made their way through the infirmary, Marie glanced up and caught sight of Teyla's bold move. The Athosian ignored the grin and headed for the door, smiling as Carson sputtered behind her. She glanced back and barely contained her laughter at his slightly indignant expression. "I just wanted ta remove my lab coat!"

Out in the hallway, she waited until the door closed behind them to smile into his eyes. "Why? I think you look quite attractive wearing it."

His indignation faded with that statement, and that same "hot" expression he'd worn a few nights ago returned. "Well, in that case. . . ."

They headed for the mess hall hand-in-hand, Teyla refusing to reason out how something as simple as holding hands could make her night complete. In a completely irrational way, it showed that they had both been "taken," as John had once explained. The idea that others on the base would soon know that she and Carson shared more than mere friendship appealed, but she did not fault him for releasing her as they neared the mess hall. Until both of them were certain of their relationship, Teyla would wait. She knew what she wanted, but she also understood that Carson needed time to decide if this was more than a simple romance after Lieutenant Cadman's departure. Somehow, she did not think it was, but she refused to rush him.

oOo

The mess hall was a lively jumble of music, laughter, talking, and food. Carson glanced around as he and Teyla entered, grinning as he relaxed immediately. He had been truthful when he told her that he'd agreed to take Amanda's shift. The younger doctor worked hard, and Major Lorne's uncharacteristic invitation to the party had been regretfully declined. Remembering how thrilled he'd felt when Teyla accepted his dinner invitation, Carson had quickly spoken with Amanda and sent her on her way to track down the major. Seeing the pair sitting in a corner, heads together while they laughed, told Carson he'd made the right move.

A long table sat against the wall, filled with a variety of treats from Earth. There were sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, finger sandwiches, cakes, and other treats that represented the Christmas holidays. Carson felt like Lorne had done a fantastic job in spite of the major's refusal to serve haggis and loved the festive spirit. Long garlands with red berries were draped here and there, and a sprig of mistletoe hung over the door he and Teyla had just entered. Thankfully, she had moved aside right away, or Carson would have been tempted to take advantage of the tradition to kiss her. It was a thought that had crossed his mind with increasing frequency as he got to know her better.

Rather than considering that thought any further, he caught her elbow and nodded toward the table with several punch bowls. "Would you like a drink, love?"

She smiled at him. "Yes. I believe Major Lorne arranged for something called eggnog, and I wanted to try it."

Carson's grin widened. "Aye, he did. I'll bring a cup over." As she left him to make her way through the tables, he watched her go and shook his head. Tonight, she wore a beautiful blouse with a rainbow of colors. The blouse ended just shy of her waistline, however, giving him a tantalizing glimpse of her midsection as she moved. The long sleeves had ruffles that fluttered around her hands, and her skirt swirled around her ankles. The simple brown panels of the skirt were broken up by shimmering silver fabric, and Carson wondered if he would survive the evening with her dressed like that.

At the drink table, he used the punch ladle to serve two cups of eggnog. Ronon already had a drink, and Sheppard appeared in the doorway with Rodney in tow. The physicist headed straight for the food, and Carson shook his head. At least McKay was predictable.

Teyla accepted her drink with another smile as Carson dropped into the chair next to her. He knew Ronon watched them closely and decided he really didn't care. He liked Teyla and realized he could easily fall for her if he wasn't careful. Tonight, he didn't feel like being careful.

The first sip of eggnog was a surprise. Teyla had already sampled it, her smile widening as she declared she quite liked the mix. Carson, however, blinked as the eggnog burned a bit more than usual. Swallowing it slowly, he recognized a tell-tale aftertaste that had him looking around the room. On the opposite side of the mess hall, Radek stood with his back to the wall, watching the activity. Carson caught his eye and held up his glass, smirk in place to let the physicist know he'd been caught. Radek was the base's unofficial supplier of moonshine, and this latest vintage had turned out quite good. Carson knew because he'd sampled the alcohol during the last poker night—one that Sheppard and his team had missed due to an off world mission.

Rodney dropped into his chair with a plate full of food and a large serving of eggnog. Sheppard also had some of the drink, and Carson decided he'd take advantage of the situation. The group chatted amiably while Teyla leaned closer to Carson as the evening went on. No one mentioned it, however, and Sheppard provided Carson with the perfect opportunity when he mentioned games back on Earth. After Ronon asked what kind of games Sheppard wanted to play, Carson leaned forward. "There's a wee drinkin' game my brothers an' I played last time I was home. Fancy a go at it?"

oOo

Elizabeth made her way to the mess hall much later than she'd intended. Right before she was set to leave her office, a rash of reports had come in, indicating the anticipation of a really good party that night. No one wanted to write reports while hung over. Now, she'd managed to sign off on all of them and wandered in to get a cup of eggnog, a plate of snacks, and spend some time outside of her office. A loud burst of laughter broke the silence, and she blinked at the sight in front of her.

Carson had his back to the door, the Scot sitting loosely in his chair with his white lab coat making him easy to spot. He hed his watch in one hand and a shot glass in the other. As Elizabeth stared, he yelled, "Go!" At the instruction, Teyla, Ronon, Sheppard, McKay, Radek, _and_ Carson each tipped back a shot glass—though Rodney more sipped from his since he was already lying forward on the table. Sheppard, Ronon, and Radek all slammed their shot glasses down while Teyla laughed at something one of the men said.

As she moved further into the room, Elizabeth smelled the alcohol and realized what had happened. Someone—and she suspected she knew who—had instituted a drinking game that apparently required a clock. Radek carefully doled out new shots, and Carson squinted at his watch. The Scot sat next to Teyla, who leaned into his shoulder with the familiarity of someone close to him. Carson smiled at her, and Elizabeth blinked. A romance right under her nose?

As if holding their collective breaths, the mess hall quieted as Carson held up his hand. A few seconds later, he yelled, "Go!" Again, the entire group threw back their shot glasses. Rodney grabbed his head and, within seconds, passed out.

Deciding that she'd seen enough, Elizabeth moved toward the group. Carson turned at her approach. "Och, 'lizabeth! Come join us, lass!"

Elizabeth blinked again, this time needing a moment to decipher Carson's thick brogue. "Carson? You didn't invite me to the party?"

John grinned at her. "Hey, 'liz'beth!"

Elizabeth shook her head. "What are you playing?"

Ronon grinned. "Doc says it's called 'Shot-a-Minute.'"

"Aye," Carson agreed, though his eyes stayed on his watch. "Me 'n the lads used ta do this when I was in uni-varsicy. . .universart. . ." He paused long enough to hiccup. ". . .college! Though, lately, 'tis been me an' ma brothers." He held up a finger. "Go!"

As the group finished up the latest shot, Ronon met Elizabeth's eyes. "You take a drink every minute on the minute. Kinda fun."

Elizabeth frowned. "And how long have you been going?"

Ronon shrugged. "About fifteen minutes."

No wonder McKay was passed out and Carson and Sheppard were already drunk. Based on the heavy alcoholic smell, it was likely the latest supply from Radek's "secret" still. She'd known the Czech produced his own alcohol for a time and hadn't said anything about it. While she didn't necessarily approve, she hadn't seen any need to sanction the personnel on base for what they considered a good time. No one had reported too hung over, and no one had endangered themselves. Though, with McKay unconscious, she decided it was time to call it a night.

At that moment, the Christmas music switched songs, and Sheppard started singing. Loudly. Radek laughed and joined in, leaving Ronon frowning and Carson exchanging amused glances with Teyla. He then looked at Elizabeth. "It's jus' a wee game I play at home when we head ta the pub."

Though the situation was laughable, Elizabeth knew none of the men would appreciate the hang over the next day. "Perhaps you should call it a night, though," she suggested softly.

Though he was quite drunk himself, Carson was still a doctor. He looked around at McKay, Radek, and Sheppard. "Aye, perhaps you're right." Glancing at his watch, he said, "Last one, lads! Go!"

The group threw back the shot glasses, each one slamming them down on the table. Ronon grinned again, not at all inebriated. "We need to play this game again!"

Teyla agreed, though she looked a bit buzzed. Elizabeth resisted the urge to cover her face. She had expected the Marines to pull something like this, but it was obvious her Chief of Medicine had a bit of a wild side. Though, that didn't surprise her as he was Scottish.

Carson pushed to his feet and reached for McKay. When the physicist didn't come around, Ronon shoved Carson out of the way. The Scot stumbled, and Teyla caught him, earning her a wide grin. Elizabeth helped Ronon pick up Rodney and watched as the Satedan carried his teammate out the door in a fireman's hold. Meanwhile, Radek put his head on the table and proceeded to start snoring. Sheppard continued to sing Christmas songs in his off-key voice, oblivious to the party breaking up around him.

Teyla put a hand on Elizabeth's arm. "Carson and I will see to John," she said softly.

"Aye," Carson agreed, only a slight bit unsteady on his feet. He and Teyla exchanged grins again, the chemistry between them more than obvious with their defenses lowered by alcohol.

Teyla managed to get Sheppard on his feet and headed for the door, her eyes straying to Carson. The Scot had given up the ruse of being remotely sober, however, choosing to lean on Sheppard and stumble along.

As the trio left the mess hall, Elizabeth dropped into the chair formerly occupied by Rodney. This must have been _some_ party!

oOo

Waking from an alcohol-induced stupor was the worst thing Rodney McKay had done in a long time. He groaned as the light penetrated his eyes, the sour taste of Zelenka's moonshine making his already turning stomach feel even worse. He dove for the side of the bed and the trash can there before losing everything he'd eaten the night before. When he got his hands on Carson, the doctor would regret. . . .

"I 'mell coffee." The slurred words escaped as Rodney realized that he really did smell coffee. And not just any coffee. It was _his_ coffee, the coffee that someone had stolen from him.

Sitting upright in bed, he immediately regretted the action and would have lost control of the nausea again if he hadn't caught sight of his desk. A brand new white coffee pot—twelve-cup size, if he was seeing straight—sat on his desk, dark coffee dripping out of the percolator. Thinking he might be hallucinating, Rodney carefully stood, grimacing at the mess in the trash can, and wandered unsteadily over to the coffee pot. He realized it was real when he touched it and felt the heat. Deciding he could wait a few more moments, he staggered into the bathroom and left the lights off while he showered for the day.

What had possessed him to agree to play a drinking game with Carson, of all people? While Sheppard and Ronon could hold their liquor through sheer will and strong metabolisms, Carson was a Scot. He'd more or less grown up drinking and the way he talked about his brothers enjoying this game should have given McKay a clue about those rowdy Beckett gatherings. Instead, he'd ignored all of that to enjoy some time with his friends. He hadn't even complained when Carson made the decision to switch from spiked eggnog to straight-up moonshine!

Out of the shower, Rodney braved the brightness of his quarters for a cup of coffee. That's when he found the package wrapped with red paper bearing white Santas. Having seen the wrapping paper from Sheppard's and Lorne's Secret Santa gifts, he groaned. Only _he _would manage to receive his Secret Santa gift when he was too hung over to appreciate it! Finding a travel mug as well as five new bags of Sumatra beans in the box, Rodney poured a cup of coffee and carried it out of his quarters. He found an equally cranky Scot in the infirmary who willingly parted with some aspirin and vitamin B6.

oOo

He watched Rodney McKay stumble from the infirmary while shaking his head. The Canadian looked horrible, and it had everything to do with that drinking game Beckett had begun the night before. While humorous to watch, McKay was not a happy drunk or as laid back as Beckett that morning. The doctor had appeared in his infirmary, taken two pills, and retreated to his office with a large cup of coffee and a warning to anyone who knocked too loudly on the door. McKay, however, was prepared to take everyone's heads off and hand it to them without even batting an eye.

Moving down the hall, he grinned and decided that he needed to step up his campaign. Christmas was only a few days away, and he wanted all of his gifts delivered by then. Thinking that it was time to reveal the gift that had started the entire mission, he moved to his own work station and ignored the command staff for the rest of the day.

~TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Three days before Christmas, Sheppard led his team through the gate to a world that was supposed to hold an Ancient weapon. He wasn't necessarily convinced after the entire fiasco with Doranda, but he figured it was worth checking out. McKay chattered on about ZPMs and extra power as Sheppard glanced around. The Stargate sat in a clearing, a wide path leading away and showing signs of recent usage. Mud dotted the shadows, and the cold breeze indicated a recent storm.

Choosing to take the obvious route, Sheppard strolled along while keeping his P90 at the ready. McKay fell into step with him as Teyla and Ronon guarded their six. Something felt a bit off about the setting, almost as if the air crackled with tension. Sheppard couldn't put the feeling into words, but he didn't let his guard down. The sky was a pale gray, and there were too many shadows for him to fully relax. He caught Ronon glancing into the forest as well, telling him that someone else also sensed the same thing.

The village they'd seen on the life signs detector came into view. Sheppard stared, amazed that the people lived so poorly. The village was, in essence, a tent city. It reminded him of camps he'd seen back on Earth with children running around in the mud, their clothing torn and dirty. Mothers stirred pots that hung over open fires, and men wandered the area looking vaguely lost. Someone coughed in one of the miniscule tents, and a second cough answered it.

One of the men caught sight of the newcomers. He straightened and met them. "What business do you have here?"

Sheppard blinked at the belligerent attitude. "No business, really. We're explorers. We came through the Stargate." When the man stared at him, he pointed back the way they'd come. "Big round thing?"

The man's eyes narrowed. "The only people to come through the Ring in recent days have been merchants seeking to trade."

Sheppard nodded once. "Well, we were thinking about that, but we also like to make friends." He stuck out his hand. "I'm Sheppard. This is McKay, Ronon, and Teyla." His team either waved or nodded to the man in turn.

"Markail." The guy met all of their eyes. "If you've come to trade, I'm afraid we have nothing. Our people left everything they had to go to another world."

Sheppard frowned. "Why did you stop?"

"We did not. At least, not at first." Markail sighed. "Some of our people left, but they were ill. They died a short time after traveling through the Ring. And our trading partners became ill. After that, we stopped going through the Ring. We decided to wait here until the illness had passed."

Sheppard chewed on his lip. Something wasn't right here, but he didn't sense any deception in Markail. "Has it passed?"

"No."

"I see." Sheppard shrugged. "Well, we know a pretty good doctor. He might be able to help figure this out."

Markail's eyes lit with faint hope. "You would risk one of your own to help us?"

McKay frowned. "What do you mean by 'risk?'"

Markail shrugged. "Only that everyone who has come to help us has either fallen ill or made the illness worse."

Sheppard shared a glance with Ronon. The Runner's hackles were up, but he didn't seem hostile toward Markail. Teyla also looked wary, but none of them had any reason to withdraw the offer of assistance. Markail's reason for why his people were camped so close to the gate was flimsy, however, and that annoyed Sheppard even more. Still. . . . "McKay, head to the gate and call for Beckett. Teyla, Ronon, and I will stay here."

To his credit, Rodney trotted off immediately. Markail looked at Sheppard. "Please. Come join us. There is not much, but we can offer you a hot drink at least."

Sheppard followed the man, smiling when the people met his eyes. The women mostly stared, and the children fell into step with the group. As they settled around a fire, the little girls swarmed Teyla. Soon, the Athosian was smiling and telling stories of her childhood while a brave little boy had ventured close enough to touch one of Ronon's dreads. Sheppard kept waiting for the Satedan to growl at the child, but he didn't. Instead, he started talking with the boy and soon had his own gathering of children. For his part, Sheppard struck up a conversation with Markail about his life before coming to this camp.

Beckett appeared nearly thirty minutes later, hauling a large yellow case along with his standard backpack. He moved through the muddy camp, his expression wary until he spotted Sheppard's team. Then, he moved confidently to their side. "Colonel."

"Doc." Sheppard grinned. "Markail, meet Dr. Carson Beckett."

"Hello." Beckett smiled politely. "Dr. McKay tells me you've got a wee bit o' illness here."

"Yes." Markail frowned and leaned close to Sheppard. "Why does he speak so strangely?" the man asked in a low voice.

"He's from a different part of our world," Sheppard answered just as softly.

Markail nodded and motioned over his shoulder. "Many are ill, but the worst are over here."

Sheppard watched Beckett and Markail enter a tent and settled back on the ground. It would be a while longer before they had any answers. Glancing around, he decided to simply wait. Something wasn't right, and the sooner they figured out what it was, the better.

oOo

Bored to tears, Rodney wandered the encampment and tried to look like he wasn't ready to run back to Atlantis. He could tell that Ronon and Sheppard were tense, which only made him tense. And, when he got a bad feeling, it usually meant something was about to happen. So far, the only bad thing about this place other than the lack of accommodations was the illness Carson said was similar to influenza. Having encountered the same illness on another world did not encourage Rodney, in spite of Carson's assurances that the people here weren't infectious to anyone who had received their off world inoculations. So, Rodney circled the camp, not staying in one place too long while he waited for the other shoe to drop.

When the other shoe dropped, it did so with a bang. Literally. Rodney had just joined both Sheppard and Carson when a bomb exploded just outside the camp. "What the. . . .?" The rest of the curse was cut off with another explosion.

The village came alive, people yelling for children, gathering their families close, and in general panicking. Markail appeared and headed for Sheppard. "You brought them!"

Rodney blinked. "Brought who? Are you insane? You _think_ we wanted to get bombed?"

"Those aren't bombs." Sheppard glared at Markail. "They're mortars. What's going on here?"

Carson looked around frantically. "Is this really the time to worry about it?"

The Scot's question snapped all of them out of their momentary shock. Sheppard nodded. "McKay, head to the gate. Dial Atlantis, tell them we've got injured. Beckett, you and Teyla get everyone to the gate in one piece."

As Carson nodded and ran off to do what he'd been told, Rodney stared. "And what about you?"

"Ronon and I will hold them off." Sheppard grabbed his arm and shoved. "Now, go!"

Rodney wanted to ask how Sheppard thought he and Ronon could hold off the people attacking them with _bombs_. No matter that Sheppard made the distinction between bombs and mortars, they were all the same in Rodney's book. Still, he ran for all he was worth, cursing Markail, the mud, and this entire mission. Of course there was more going on here than a simple exploration. They'd all felt it when they came through the gate and found the refugee camp.

At the gate, Rodney dialed Atlantis and entered his IDC. Then, triggering his radio, he tried to sound a little less panicked. "Atlantis, this is McKay! Come in!"

A moment later, Elizabeth's calm voice replied, "I'm here, Rodney. What's going on?"

"We've been attacked. Well, the whole village has been attacked. We're bringing people through!"

"I've lowered the shield." Elizabeth's voice changed slightly, not enough that anyone save those who knew her well could recognize. "We've also alerted the infirmary and will have medical teams standing by. What about the rest of the team?"

Rodney turned in time to see the first wave of refugees headed their way. Carson led them while Teyla stood alongside the line, her P90 at the ready as she waved them along. Carson stopped to point at McKay, and the people headed for the sanctuary promised by the Stargate. Remembering Elizabeth's question, McKay said, "They're fine. Right now, they're. . . ." The rest of what he wanted to say was cut off by another mortar dropping near the line. He ducked behind the DHD, the shock wave dissipating before it reached him. Carson, however, wasn't so lucky. The shock wave slammed into the medical doctor, picking him up and throwing him through the air. McKay's heart sank as Carson's body slammed into a tree and fell limply to the ground. "Oh, crap!"

oOo

Carson blinked at the sky, groaning at the brightness of the light. He knew, based on the gray color, that it shouldn't have hurt as badly as it did. His ears rang, and his head pounded in time with his heartbeat. Sitting up only made the situation worse. He wore his off-world gear, and shards of pain raced down his spine. His neck started seizing up as soon as he turned to look around.

Two Teylas hovered over him, their voices combining in a weird sort of stereo. "Carson!"

He groaned again as he pulled himself to his knees. The sounds of gunfire around them told him that they didn't have time to fend off the effects of a concussion. Shaking his head to clear it would only make the situation worse, so he blinked quickly, hoping the double vision and tinnitus would go away on its own.

Another bomb went off nearby, but its concussive blast didn't hit any of the people around them. Screams and shouts pierced the air as the refugees rushed toward the gate. One of them, a young lad around ten years old, lay near the last place Carson remembered standing. He was conscious, and Carson could see the tears on his face. Without thinking, he grabbed the backpack that had been thrown when he went flying and crawled over to the boy.

Some bits of shrapnel had embedded themselves into the lad's shoulders, but they weren't too severe. Carson opened his medical kit, his eyes already doing a physical examination in spite of his own injuries. They could wait. This child could not. A quick check told him that the boy had broken his leg in the fall, and he also had a wee concussion. The break would need to be set back on Atlantis, and Carson wasn't certain he could make it through the gate without help.

He had just glanced up at Teyla when they came under fire. Carson dove over the child, shielding the boy's body with his own. The report of Teyla's P90 made the headache worse, and he looked up to see her firing into the trees as three men rushed toward them. They were just as dirty as the rest of those in this fight, but they were unprepared for the Athosian. Teyla dropped two of them with some well-placed bullets. The third managed to get close enough to land a strong punch on her face. The rage that blossomed in Carson's chest was enough to have him ignoring his concussion, his back, the child, and everyone. _No __one_ attacked Teyla without hearing about it from him!

He had just pulled his weapon to drop the other man when Teyla popped back up on her feet. Her cheek was inflamed, but she was in complete control. Part of Carson hated losing the ability to defend his girl, but the other part of him—the male part of him—wanted to grin at how unbelievably hot it was to see her take her attacker to the ground. Instead of focusing on any of these thoughts, he slipped his arms under the boy and, grinding his teeth together to ignore the pain, rose to his feet. At the gate, McKay asked if he was okay, and he simply nodded. What more was he supposed to say when he could barely keep himself going? But this child needed medical attention.

Hearing Teyla's voice behind him, Carson stepped through the Stargate and breathed a deep sigh of relief at the thought of being home.

oOo

"Rodney!" Elizabeth glanced at Chuck. "Are you getting anything?"

"The radio is working." Chuck shrugged. "There must be something happening on their end."

Elizabeth turned to the wormhole, desperation in her voice. "Rodney, come in!"

"I need a medical team in the gate room!" Rodney's voice was filled with panic, but Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief. At least her chief scientist was okay.

After a glance at Chuck, she nodded. "We've got them coming. What is happening on your end?"

"We're near the gate! Beckett's down!"

Elizabeth suppressed the gasp, especially since Rodney went on to say that he was sending more people through. She watched the group come through the Stargate, amazed at how ragged these people looked. More explosions sounded over the radio, and a blast of dirt and debris came through with one of them.

A few moments later, Carson stumbled through the gate, followed closely by Teyla and Rodney. The doctor carried a young child, but his own face was pale beneath the dirt that had been thrown onto him. Elizabeth watched as Carson turned immediately for the infirmary, not caring who was around and who asked what questions. Teyla also trotted off in that direction. Grateful that everyone appeared okay, Elizabeth set about organizing people into groups and guiding them toward the infirmary for medical checks and treatment. When Sheppard and Ronon eventually appeared, the gate shut down, and she breathed a deep sigh of relief. For now, the crisis was over.

oOo

The infirmary was in a state of controlled chaos when Teyla and Carson arrived. She watched the doctor wade through the refugees and his own personnel to lay the child he carried on a bed. The boy had lost consciousness when Carson picked him up, and Teyla moved to sit nearby while he hovered. He was not doing well, the effects of his concussion obvious to her as she watched. Every few moments, he would blink as if to clear his vision. His words were slurred slightly as Dr. Cole came over to see to the boy. Still, Carson bravely gave Cole his diagnosis of a broken leg and stepped back when the other doctor insisted he let her treat the child.

Now that the crisis had passed, Teyla let her elbows hit her knees. Her own head ached, the pain radiating from her jaw and into her skull. The punch she'd taken was no harder than any she doled out, but the suddenness of it had given her little time to prepare. Normally, she could have turned her head to lessen the blow.

"Teyla?" Carson's soft voice in front of her brought her head up. He'd crouched down and was staring at her with those incredible eyes. Dirt clung to his hair and dusted his face, but he still looked amazing.

"I am fine, Carson." She tried to smile, but it faltered when it pulled at her cheek.

Behind him, Cole came over. "Dr. Beckett?"

Carson glanced at her, wincing at the sudden movement. "Just a moment." He turned back to Teyla, his warm hand coming up to cup her cheek. His thumb brushed ever so gently over the bruise already forming. It hurt the tender flesh, but Teyla refused to ask him to stop. The expression on his face and the gentleness with which he touched her made her realize that he cared deeper than he'd allowed himself to show her.

Teyla put her hand over his. "I am fine, Carson," she said again. Nodding to Dr. Cole, she smiled. "I will be here when Dr. Cole finishes."

Clearly seeing his need for medical attention himself, Carson nodded with a rueful expression. "You're right, love." He touched her face again. "Thank you for bein' there today."

"I would not want to be anywhere else." Teyla watched as he stood with another wince and allowed Cole to lead him to his own hospital bed. Unless the refugees were severely injured, Atlantis personnel took precedence, particularly the city's Chief of Medicine. Carson would work himself into an early grave if no one watched out for him, and Teyla was realizing just how overprotective his staff could be. Still, it thrilled her to know that he'd put off his own medical care in favor of seeing to her.

As another doctor came to her side, she admired Carson's form as he slipped onto a bed. He pulled off his TAC vest, speaking softly to Cole while Teyla considered all the emotions swirling through her. She was concerned for him, worried that he was more severely injured than he'd let on. And, yet, seeing him so heroically pick up that child in spite of his injuries and pain to carry the boy through the gate now made her feel giddy. He looked incredible in his off world gear, as well, and she shook her head ruefully. In all of her time with her people, she had never once looked at another man like she looked at Carson. It would take time for all of these emotions to settle in, but she was happy to indulge herself for the moment.

oOo

By the time Sheppard reached the infirmary and finished his own medical checks, Carson was firmly ensconced on a hospital bed. Teyla stood next to him, the couple talking softly, and Sheppard refused to interrupt. Teyla had a large bruise across her face, and Carson reached up to touch it softly. Sheppard turned away when Teyla's smile changed and she took Carson's hand in her own.

Ronon was also watching the scene. "I never thought those two. . . ."

"Yeah," Sheppard agreed. "Doc Cole says he's got a pretty bad concussion and bruised back from getting thrown into a tree. Though, to hear McKay tell the story, he flew a good twenty feet."

"He's lucky," Ronon said.

"Yeah." Sheppard let out a deep breath. "I just spoke with Markail. Seems their world was in a civil war, and the refugee camp was the last of a small nomadic people who got caught between two superpowers. They were telling the truth when they said they didn't go through the gate because they wanted to avoid spreading illness. Though, from what Cole says, the illness is easily treatable and shouldn't infect any of our personnel. Elizabeth's gonna send Lorne out to scout for a new world for them starting tomorrow."

"Good." Ronon pushed out of his chair. "Hungry?"

Sheppard agreed though he wasn't certain how much food he'd want to eat right now. "Yeah. Just let me get a shower first."

Ronon left the infirmary with Sheppard hot on his heels. A glance back showed that Teyla had settled onto the edge of Carson's bed, happily entertaining the Chief of Medicine while Carson's staff went about treating the refugees. Sheppard knew Cole would appreciate it, but he couldn't help the grin that started anyway. At least one of their team was happy. Setting aside the residual tension of their unexpected battle off world, Sheppard returned to his quarters, showered, and joined Ronon for dinner.

oOo

_Today had been close. Too close. Just hearing that Beckett was down had made him worry far more than he normally did. Off world missions were hazardous under the best of conditions, but they'd nearly lost Beckett today. Right now, the doctor was tucked into his own infirmary bed, being entertained by Teyla while the rest of the team decompressed. The Secret Santa didn't need anyone to tell him that they would all feel the anxiety from this latest adventure for several days._

_Leaving the infirmary just behind Sheppard and Ronon, he turned in another direction. He still had three gifts to deliver. One of them, the one for Teyla, had begun this entire mission. When he'd discovered it off world, he knew it should have been returned to its rightful owner. Now, he found the wrapped gift and stared at another one that needed wrapping. Not only was that one an awkward shape, but it presented him with a challenge. If not delivered correctly, anyone could get their hands on it. Perhaps he should, just this once, break his tradition and put a name on that gift. Just to ensure that the correct person received it. Otherwise. . . ._

_He refused to think about what could happen and chose to focus on his mission. He'd resolved to bring Christmas cheer to Atlantis, and he seemed to have succeeded. If he could just get through the next several days without discovery. . . ._

~TBC


	10. Chapter 10

The next morning, Teyla slipped into the infirmary and made her way to Carson's side. He still slept, the result of a severe concussion sustained when he was thrown by the mortar. Teyla had suffered a concussion before and knew first-hand how painful and disorienting it could be. In addition to the concussion, he'd bruised his back quite badly and yet had carried the injured boy through the Stargate.

Looking at Carson's sleeping face, Teyla silently thanked the Ancestors that he had not been lost to her. Watching him fly through the air had frightened her more than she'd thought possible. At that moment, she'd regretted not telling him how she felt. The stirrings of attraction had deepened quickly over the last few days, surprising her with their strength. His few moments with her after their return to Atlantis had only showed her what could be ahead if she was not afraid to truly let him into her life. After placing the injured child into Dr. Cole's care, he had come to Teyla's side. His experienced eyes had softened as they examined the wound on her face. When he'd ignored everyone else and simply laid his warm hand against her bruised jaw, she had struggled to keep her composure. That simple touch told her more about how he felt than anything else had.

Dr. Cole appeared and touched Teyla's arm. The Athosian followed the tired doctor. "How is he?"

"He'll be fine." Cole's smile turned her lips upward. "It's weird having him here as a patient."

"Yes," Teyla agreed. "I wanted to. . . ."

Cole nodded. "I understand."

On the bed, Carson began to stir. Teyla watched as he blinked a few times at the ceiling, letting Cole move to his side. The two doctors spoke softly, and Teyla stayed in place. Part of her wanted to rush to Carson's side, but she also wanted to make certain he received the medical care he needed. The best way to do that was to avoid distracting him. And she knew she could pull him away from his work. If her ability to get him to willingly leave his lab had not told her so, then last night's time spent keeping his attention from the activity around them gave her a hint as to her influence. Though exhausted, she had willingly sat next to him and enjoyed the simple thrill of how he'd touched her face and the relief so evident in his eyes. Carson was a healer, and most people saw him as nothing more than that. Teyla had come to relish seeing the man beneath the lab coat.

Cole moved back to Teyla's side as Carson closed his eyes as if to rest some more. "I wanted to thank you."

"For?" Teyla dragged her gaze away from Carson and focused on the other doctor.

"If you had not distracted him last night, our jobs would have been much more difficult." Cole's words echoed Teyla's thoughts from a few moments ago.

The Athosian smiled. "I simply visited with him. He allowed the distraction."

The two women chuckled at that, knowing that Carson Beckett was a bulldog, as Sheppard put it, when it came to his infirmary. Teyla made her escape a few moments later. She had so many thoughts in her head and did not want to worry Carson with her presence. She walked without truly paying attention to her path, arriving at the meditation room as Atlantis awoke. She slipped inside as quietly as she'd done in the infirmary. Perhaps some meditation would allow her to clear her mind and focus on what she truly wanted in life.

A bright red package caught her attention. Teyla looked around, not seeing anyone. She knew it could have been delivered any time during the night. Had she not helped Carson wrap his gifts for the others, she would have assumed it was from him. However, his stay in the infirmary and the wrapping paper told her that this was from the Secret Santa. The red wrapping paper with small Santas all over it had become something of a signature.

The package felt like a book. Teyla carefully turned it over and undid the tape. A very old book, looking like a journal, appeared. She blinked at the distinct markings on the leather cover. She had not seen these markings since John and his team had appeared on Athos. Teyla gasped as the book fell open, revealing careful lines of writing both familiar and yet foreign to her.

The door to the meditation room opened. A form appeared. "Teyla?"

oOo

Ronon hated the day after a tense mission. He often wandered into the gym looking for someone to spar with simply out of a desire to work off the remaining energy. Battle, while not something he necessarily enjoyed, was what he was good at, and he usually needed more than a good night's sleep to get it out of his system. Most of the time, he verbally sparred with McKay, letting the physicist's acerbic humor whittle away at his tension. This time, however, McKay had disappeared into his lab after learning that Beckett would be okay and hadn't been seen since.

Now, Ronon entered the gym and tensed immediately. His instincts, honed by years on the run from the Wraith, told him something had changed. The bright red wrapping paper and large package on a bench wasn't hard to spot. Ronon had heard about these gifts, had thought it strange in a very good kind of way. It had started him on his own work for Christmas, something he needed to finish up that day if he wanted the objects ready to deliver in two days' time. Now, however, he moved to the package and glanced around. In the gym, it could be meant for anyone. Then, he saw the typed tag with his name attached to the package. Whoever had left it had ensured it wouldn't go to the wrong person.

Pulling the wrapping paper off of it, Ronon wasn't careful to save any of it for McKay. The physicist's obsession with figure out who the Secret Santa was had faded with the arrival of his coffee pot. Ronon frowned as he considered the last couple of days. McKay had mellowed since the arrival of his coffee pot, though this new gift and the name tag with it might be enough to jump start Rodney's insatiable curiosity again.

The stand with three sheathed swords made him blink. Arranged from smallest to largest, the gift looked like something he'd find in a Satedan armory. Each blade was curved slightly, the black sheathes bearing a brown leather tie. The same brown leather had been woven about the hilt to give the swordsman a steady grip. Ronon reached for the shortest blade and pulled it from its sheath. The blade was approximately eight inches in length and perfectly balanced. Ronon twirled it in his hand, testing the weight and smiling as he realized this would be great for killing Wraith. Slipping it back into its sheath, he reached for the middle blade, a sword around twenty-four inches long.

A long, low whistle kept him from drawing this second blade. Ronon turned and saw Sheppard standing in the doorway. The colonel moved to his side, shaking his head. "Whoever this Secret Santa is, he spent some _money_!"

"Yeah," Ronon agreed. He stepped away from Sheppard and pulled the sword from its sheath. Like the smaller blade, it was perfectly balanced as well. He did a few training moves, careful to avoid cutting himself on the incredibly sharp edge. The form of the sword would take some time to become accustomed to, but he grinned as he relished the opportunity.

Sheppard watched from the sidelines. "You know what these are, right?"

Ronon shrugged. "Don't care."

"They're a katana, wakizashi, and tantō." Sheppard shrugged. "They're a traditional weapon used by the samurai."

"The what?"

"Samurai. They're. . ." Sheppard motioned with his hand. ". . .warriors from Japan. Military nobility."

"Oh."

"The point is, they used these weapons to fight." Sheppard grinned. "Whoever bought these for you apparently thought you were like one of these samurai."

Ronon didn't answer, knowing nothing needed to be said. Instead, he replaced the wakizashi, as Sheppard called it, and reached for the katana. He knew that carrying these weapons into actual combat would take some creativity—save for the tantō—but he enjoyed the weight of the swords in his hand.

The tension from the previous day's mission wearing off, Ronon went through several more training exercises with the blades before replacing them on their stand. It would take practice, something he wasn't opposed to, in order to be able to use them effectively. The weight was different from the traditional Satedan sword, but the katana, especially, appealed for its gracefulness. He grinned as Sheppard reached for his set of Bantos rods, and the two men managed to get in their morning workout before breakfast. Then, Ronon carried his gift to his quarters and made plans to spend the remainder of the day finishing up the gifts he'd started.

oOo

Carson had sensed Teyla's presence from the moment he woke. The headache from his concussion made keeping his eyes open a chore, but he managed to do so while Amanda performed her brief checks. Then, he settled back into his pillow and closed his eyes against the brightness.

Teyla didn't come to his side this morning, and Carson was just as happy with her decision. Not that he didn't want to see her. Nothing could have been further from the truth. But he needed time to figure out what had changed. Yesterday, when that man had struck her, a rage unlike anything he'd ever felt had fired up inside of him, and he knew he'd come dangerously close to unleashing that legendary Scottish temper. It was something he hadn't done in years, and he wanted to examine the reasons behind the burst of anger.

Of course, seeing Teyla struck wasn't something he ever desired to see. The Athosian was the kindest, gentlest person around unless she was threatened. He smiled now as he remembered once referring to her fighting abilities as a superpower. That cold brutality was balanced by her warm nature, and he had found himself attracted to her almost immediately—as had every other man on the base. But, these past few days, things had changed. Teyla welcomed his presence with a smile and sparkle in her eyes that told him she was more than just a wee bit drawn to him. They had shared dinner together once, and that evening made him want to know her better. And, yesterday, she had come to his bedside after Amanda allowed him to get cleaned up for the evening. Knowing she was deliberately distracting him from the work in the infirmary hadn't bothered him as much as it should have.

Sleep the furthest thing from his mind, now, Carson opened his eyes and glanced around. Cole was in his office, filling out reports, and the hour was still early. He sat up, wincing as muscles that tensed overnight screamed at him. He would likely ask for a muscle relaxer later this afternoon and spend the evening in his quarters, sleeping off the pain. It would take several days for him to return to active duty, but he would eventually recover. Right now, however, his thoughts weren't centered on himself. He simply wanted to escape the infirmary long enough to see Teyla and make certain she would be okay.

Some careful maneuvering got him out of the bed, and he slipped into the staff bathroom to take a quick shower. The hot water helped his sore neck and back, and he dressed in his tan uniform. He would pay for this, he knew, but it would be worth it. Leaving the infirmary through the little-used rear exit, Carson headed for crew quarters as he tried to work out where Teyla would have gone. She hadn't worn her typical base uniform today, choosing another of her Athosian skirts that drove him to distraction. That indicated she was either headed for the meditation rooms or the gym. Hoping she wouldn't try sparring with her face still so bruised from the day before, he turned toward the meditation rooms. The door opened as she gasped at the book in her hands. Frowning, he blinked. "Teyla?"

She whirled, her face as shocked as he'd ever seen it. "Carson!"

He moved to her side. "What is it?"

"You should not be up!" Her eyes were still wide, but they took in every aspect about him. He tried to appear strong, but the pounding in his head had notched up with every step. "Dr. Cole said. . . ."

He gently touched Teyla's shoulder. "Teyla, love, I'll be fine. I wanted to see how you were doin' today."

"I am. . . ." Her eyes went back to the book in her hands, and she frowned. "I am confused. I came here and found this."

He took the book she offered and opened it. The writing looked vaguely like Ancient, but he knew enough to see the differences. A glance at Teyla told him that this meant more to her than a simple gift.

She smiled. "This is a _very_ rare gift. One I could not have hoped for my people to receive."

"I hate to sound clueless, love, but you're going to have to give me a bit more information." Carson handed the book back to her, seeing how she reverently brushed her fingers over the designs tooled into the leather.

Her smile changed as she glanced at him. "Generations ago, my people wrote histories. Many of those histories were thought lost over time. As the Wraith came to our world to cull, we simply assumed that these writings were taken with those who disappeared. I never dreamed that one of them could be discovered now. The price that this must have cost. . . ." She shook her head, her eyes filling with tears as she opened the book and began to read the first page.

Carson might not have been able to read the writing, but he understood the treasure. As a Scot, he knew how rich a heritage could be and how special it must have been for Teyla to suddenly discover her own heritage written out for others to enjoy. He didn't want to interrupt her reading time, but her tears got to him. Though happy tears, he had not seen her cry save when Charin had passed. Rather than saying anything, he simply laid his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to his side. He was totally unprepared for her to gently close the book and wrap her arms around his waist.

Carson stood in place, holding Teyla as she buried her face in his shirt. She didn't cry much, but he felt the slight dampness of her tears seep through the fabric of his shirt. The way she made herself comfortable in his arms, however, went straight to his heart as he realized that, no matter what, he was falling in love with this woman. Now was not the time or place for these revelations, however, and he pulled her close, loving how natural and thrilling it was to have her so close to him.

The door opening pulled him from his thoughts. He'd propped his chin on Teyla's head and now glanced over his shoulder as Amanda Cole marched into the meditation room. "Dr. Carson Iain Beckett!"

Teyla jumped ever so slightly and slipped out of his arms as he turned. "Dr. Cole!"

Carson stayed rooted in place, not wanting to admit that it had hurt badly to turn and knowing that, because Cole had used his middle name, he was in serious trouble.

Amanda stood with her hands on her hips. She glared at her boss. "I thought Colonel Sheppard would have taught you just how irritating it is to find patients had up and left the infirmary without permission."

"Aye," Carson agreed ruefully. "But. . . ."

Amanda held up a finger. "No 'buts.'" She pointed. "I want you back there for a full examination. Had you waited just a few moments, I would likely have released you anyway."

Carson grinned at Teyla, completely unrepentant about having escaped the infirmary undetected. She grinned back, though her smile was a bit more reserved. "I will be fine, Carson."

He sighed. "Aye, I suppose you're right." Turning to Amanda, he gave her a cheeky grin. "Right. Lead the way."

Amanda glared at him for another few moments before walking away. Carson grinned once more at Teyla, seeing the way her eyes sparkled. He was tempted to lightly kiss her on his way out the door and then figured it would probably not be the best idea. When he and Teyla shared their first kiss, he wanted it to be special for both of them. Now, he followed Amanda and submitted to all of her checks once they reached the infirmary. The other doctor muttered to herself as she escaped into the office, and Carson wasn't surprised when it took her another four hours to release him to his quarters.

oOo

_He watched as Beckett trailed Dr. Cole back to the infirmary. A few moments later, Teyla exited the meditation room, her smile firmly in place. She held the book he'd given her close to her chest, clearly protecting it as she turned toward crew quarters. The Athosian's smile told him everything he needed to know about her relationship with Beckett._

_In truth, that book was what started his entire plan to play Secret Santa. He'd discovered it in an Ancient facility, away from prying eyes and sealed against environmental hazards. At first, he'd been shocked to find something so clearly Athosian on a world that had no connection to the Athos. He had spent enough time with the book to translate a portion of the writing. The history was incomplete, but it was a part of Athosian heritage and deserved to be returned. He considered just giving it to Teyla, but the plan to surprise her blossomed into this brilliant idea about playing Secret Santa._

_Happy that his gifts had been so well received, he headed down the hall and to the gate room for the start of that day's duty shift._

oOo

Rodney didn't see anyone from his team until that evening. He waltzed into the mess hall and filled his tray, spotting Ronon and Sheppard already at the team table. Neither man spoke as they were too busy shoveling their food into their mouths. Rodney dropped into an empty chair and grinned. He'd taken the time to check in with Carson that morning and had been shocked at what he discovered. "So," he began conversationally, "Carson pulled a Sheppard."

The twin blinks he received were comical. Finally, Sheppard swallowed. "He pulled a what?"

"He pulled a you." Rodney took his first bite of the mystery meatloaf and washed it down with some water. Now that he had his own coffee, he could indulge in water from time to time. "Cole had to go looking for him when he went MIA."

Sheppard grinned. "And why was the doc MIA?"

Rodney opened his mouth to answer, but Teyla appeared. Rather than embarrassing her further, he simply met Sheppard's eyes, glanced at the Athosian, and then looked back to Sheppard. The flyboy colonel got the message, as did Ronon. The two men grinned at Teyla.

She settled gracefully in her chair. "What?"

"Nothing," Sheppard sing-songed as he returned to his meal.

"How's Beckett?" Ronon asked.

Rodney nearly choked at the pretty blush that covered Teyla's features. It wasn't much, but the way she smiled at Ronon told the entire table everything they needed to know. "He is recovering. Dr. Cole released him from the infirmary this afternoon with strict orders to rest."

"Good." Rodney figured he'd rescue her. "I've bruised muscles like that. Do you have any idea how much that hurts?"

"Yeah, Rodney, we know how much it hurts," Sheppard said with a grin. "I'm just surprised he decided to do what he's always yelling at me for doing."

Teyla didn't blush this time, but she did smile. Apparently choosing a direct way of handling her relationship with Carson, she met Sheppard's eyes. "He was worried about me."

Rodney rolled his eyes and then stopped to consider what had happened. He'd never really approved of his friend's relationship with Cadman, thinking that the Marine lieutenant should have found another way to express her feelings for Carson rather than taking over his body to kiss the doctor. Neither man had really discussed it in great amounts of detail since—except for a solemn vow to never speak of it again—and having Carson involved with someone Rodney approved of was actually a relief. Not that he had any say in his friend's personal life.

Talk around the table turned to the mission, and the carefree attitudes sobered. Rodney listened as Sheppard explained the civil war they'd walked into, and he silently breathed a sigh of relief that none of them had been seriously injured in any way.

~TBC


	11. Chapter 11

Ronon spent most of that night and well into the early morning hours of Christmas Eve finishing up his gifts. He'd started late and had been forced to work after hours and in moments stolen here and there. But it was worth it. The set of Bantos rods he'd originally imagined for himself would now go to Teyla. Ronon had made that decision when he began carving the intricate designs into the hilt and realized that the design looked too feminine. With that in mind, he crafted the remainder of the design with the Athosian in mind.

From the rest of the wood he'd found, he managed to make two blades. He'd done a bit of research into Earth culture and had been learned a bit of Scottish history. He began the hunt as a way to figure out what gift to make for Beckett. He supposed the carved figure for Weir's desk just wouldn't go over for Beckett and had been pleasantly surprised to learn that the Scots wore a small knife, called a _sgian-dubh_, with their national outfit. Not that Ronon would ever be caught wearing a kilt. He'd leave that for Beckett! But he did decide, after his research, to make a _sgian-dubh_ for the doc.

Sheppard's gift had been just as easy to figure out. While making Beckett's gift, he also worked on Sheppard's. Given the colonel's apparent lack of family, Ronon pulled from his own history, adding some carvings into the smooth hilt that symbolized family back on Sateda. Sitting back, his eyes bleary in the pre-dawn hours of Christmas Eve, he smiled. That particular gift had come out incredibly well.

The remainder of his gifts—a carving of the team for McKay and the traditional Satedan symbol of a leader for Weir—had been made some time ago, when he'd first picked up the family pastime. He still needed to wrap them. But his eyes were burning from the extra work, and he carefully cleaned his work area before dropping into bed. For the first time since hearing about Christmas from Sheppard, Ronon decided that there must be something good to this Earth holiday after all.

oOo

Early Christmas Eve morning, Teyla found Carson enjoying a quiet cup of coffee and the sunrise. The tropical breeze ruffled his hair as he sat on the mess hall patio, and very few people were around at this time of day. The sun had just broken over the horizon, and the sight of the fiery clouds was breathtaking.

Teyla gathered her breakfast, choosing her normal meal as she considered what she was about to do. Late the previous night, as she'd retired to her quarters, she had made some decisions about where she wished her relationship with Carson to go. She would not force her desires on him, but she wanted him aware of what was in her mind. That decision came with an idea for Christmas. While she would not be giving him a gift in the conventional sense, she had to first get him to accept her invitation so that she could arrange the evening just the way she wanted it.

Carson glanced up as she approached. "Good morning."

Teyla smiled and turned her attention to the horizon as she sat down next to him. "The views are incredible."

"Aye," he agreed. "This is one o' my favorites, but I rarely get the chance to just sit an' enjoy it."

"Dr. Cole has you on light duty?"

"No, she has me off today." Carson scowled slightly, and the sight was adorable to Teyla. He sighed. "I suppose I earned the extra day off with escapin' from the infirmary yesterday, but I wanted to see that you were okay."

She nodded. "I was truly fine. The gift surprised me as I was not expecting such a treasure."

"What will you do with it?"

"I am meeting with Halling and several other Athosian elders in two days' time." She met his eyes. "We will decide what to do with it. My idea is to have it re-printed using modern Earth techniques so that it can be shared amongst all Athosians."

"Och, that's a wonderful idea!" His approval meant the world to her, and he went back to watching the sunrise. Teyla also fell silent, enjoying these few quiet moments before their day truly began. Carson finished his coffee but did not seem inclined to move. Finally, he let out a deep breath. "This is my favorite time of day. The air is fresh and, if it's cool, it reminds me a bit of home."

"I understand." And she did. As much as she'd made Atlantis her home, she sometimes missed the cold mornings on Athos, the rich gold of grain in the autumn, and the fresh tava beans that her people farmed.

"Laura always said I was 'domesticated.'" Carson gave her a rueful smile. "She's right to an extent."

Teyla grinned at that description, imagining a domesticated animal that people sometimes kept as pets. Nothing could have described Carson more accurately and yet been so wrong at the same time. He may have been "domesticated," but he was a force of nature when given the right impetus. She'd seen that force several times and found it utterly fascinating. "I do not think she used the right word. I believe you merely enjoy the simple things in life and find fulfillment in them. That does not mean you are domesticated."

His smile widened at that. "Why, thank you, love."

Realizing that the mess hall was beginning to fill and knowing that her time with Carson was coming to an end, Teyla searched for the right words. She'd never felt so lost in her life, but this invitation had to be perfect. "Carson." She looked up from the table and realized that he waited with expectant eyes. "Would you. . . .I mean, I would be honored if you would join me for the evening meal tonight."

His eyes crinkled as he grinned. "I'd love to join you."

"Good." She glanced around and realized that both Sheppard and McKay had arrived and were headed their way. "Seven? At my quarters?"

The twinkle in Carson's eye told her that he'd gotten her message, that this was more than a simple dinner invitation. "I'll be there." He turned as McKay dropped into a chair. "Good morning, Rodney."

McKay waved a hand as Sheppard grinned at the two. The colonel settled in for the meal, asking if any of them had seen Ronon. The conversation turned to Carson's health following the last mission, and Teyla escaped after an appropriate amount of time. She felt Carson's eyes on her as she left and couldn't resist glancing over her shoulder to share another grin with the man. McKay and Sheppard were arguing about something, leaving them oblivious to the byplay going on between the two. Carson smirked, looking both cheeky and incredible at the same time, his expression almost urging her to make a move. Deciding she would do just that, Teyla slipped into the kitchen and began making preparations for her dinner that evening.

oOo

_He stood in his quarters and looked around. One final gift, and his mission would be complete. Of course, seeing two of his friends discover more than mere friendship had been an unintentional side effect of his plans. Not that he wasn't happy. It thrilled him every time Carson and Teyla exchanged one of those suggestive glances that seemed to contain entire conversations. He had never seen the Athosian so taken with a man before, and the good doctor appeared completely happy to oblige her. Sheppard and McKay had begun noticing things like Christmas trees and Christmas shopping, and he had watched more trips through the Stargate in recent days to purchase supplies and/or gifts than he'd seen since coming to Atlantis. Yes, his mission was a success. And they had no idea of his identity, just the way he'd wanted it to be._

oOo

Elizabeth found her command staff crowded around a table in the mess hall late that evening. Lorne and Amanda Cole sat side by side, obviously together without making it obvious. McKay was nursing a travel mug of coffee, and Ronon and Sheppard were laughing about something Lorne had said. Only Carson and Teyla were absent, though Elizabeth doubted any of this group cared. They all loved Carson and Teyla respectively, and watching the pair find one another in such an understated, yet obvious, way had been a joy to Elizabeth. Now, she filled her own coffee cup, grabbed a snack, and headed for the group. They made room for her, and she enjoyed how wonderful it felt to be immediately absorbed into a crowd of people.

As usual, talk turned to the Secret Santa. The actions of this one unidentified person had hit the Expedition grapevine, and Elizabeth had heard rumors of others finding various gifts left for them. Most of the gifts were fairly inexpensive, just the sort of thing coworkers bought for one another. But the change in the city was astounding. Morale had improved, and people smiled on a regular basis.

Lorne shook his head. "I still would like to know who it was."

"Yeah," Sheppard agreed softly. "McKay, any progress on that investigation?"

"What?" Rodney glanced up from where he'd disappeared into his ever-present tablet. "No. I sort of, um, took Elizabeth at her word. Figured this guy was harmless."

Ronon smirked at him. "Was that before or after the coffee showed up?"

"I'll have you know that the coffee showed up right when I needed it the most!" Rodney glared.

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, suspecting that she knew the time frame for that particular gift. She didn't ask, however, as John beat her to it. "Oh, yeah, when was that?"

"Um. . . ." Rodney glanced around. "Right after the party," he mumbled.

Ronon let out a loud snicker while Lorne shook his head. The major grinned. "I don't think I've ever seen a group of people so drunk in my life!"

Beside him, Amanda Cole laughed. "When he came to work the next day, Carson was barely standing. Quietly told us that he was hung-over and would be in his office. Then, he threatened any of us with night shift work if we disturbed him."

Elizabeth shook her head. "I still can't believe _Carson_, of all people, suggested that drinking game."

John nodded. "You have to watch out for the quiet ones." He frowned as everyone agreed. "Where's Carson, anyway?"

Rodney snorted. "I stopped into the infirmary to meet with him for dinner, and Marie said he had a date tonight."

Sheppard and Ronon grinned. "With Teyla," the two men said at the same time.

Amanda grinned widely at that news, clearly thrilled for her boss.

Sheppard's face suddenly cleared as he had an epiphany. "Hey, did anyone hear what Teyla and Beckett got from the Secret Santa?"

Everyone shook their heads, some of them going so far as to say they hadn't even heard whether Carson or Teyla had received a gift. Elizabeth was surprised. Thus far, all of her command staff had received something. She might not have heard about it through official channels, but Sheppard had dropped the news that Ronon got a set of samurai swords into her ear just the previous day. Now, she watched the shock cross Rodney's face.

"No way!" The physicist looked around excitedly. "Out of all the people who would know all of that about us, who is the _one_ person who could get that sort of thing sent to Atlantis?"

Ronon frowned. "Beckett?"

Rodney snapped his fingers. "Exactly!"

Lorne held up a hand. "Wait a minute. The doc's been here when we've discussed this before. Doesn't seem like he'd have a hand in it if he was as clueless as we are."

"Unless he was playing along with us," Sheppard replied.

Rodney snorted again. "Please! Carson's got the worst poker face of us all!"

"I don't know, Rodney, yours is pretty bad," Sheppard said.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you very much!"

Elizabeth leaned forward, deciding to put a stop to that argument right away. "So, no one has heard whether Carson—or Teyla, for that matter—received any kind of gift?"

As one, the group shook their heads.

She smiled. "Well, then I think we should do something for the two of them. Right now, all signs point to Carson as the Secret Santa. And, quite frankly, I'm not surprised to find out it was him. But we have to be sure of this."

John shrugged at her. "We're as sure as we can be."

"Are we?" Elizabeth met everyone's eyes, stopping at Amanda. "Dr. Cole, you work with Carson. Is he likely to do something like this?"

"Yes," Amanda answered without hesitation.

Elizabeth sat back in her chair. "Okay." She turned to John. "What's the plan?"

Sheppard thought for a moment. "He's been playing Secret Santa, right?" When the group nodded, he grinned. "Let's give him Christmas. Tree, lights, everything!"

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "John, Christmas is tomorrow. Where do you propose we get all that stuff?"

Ronon shifted in his seat. "Well, I kind of. . .um. . .made some stuff. I could wrap it up and put it under the tree."

Lorne looked a bit embarrassed. "I have a few things, too." Sheppard and McKay also nodded.

Elizabeth dipped her head. "Okay. The tree?" She barely suppressed her chuckle when, as one person, the entire group turned to look at the massive Christmas tree in the mess hall.

Sheppard glanced at McKay. "Think we can fit it into the infirmary?"

"Yeah." McKay studied the tree. "It'll be a tight fit and a pain to get around the corners, but I think we can get it up there. We'll just have to take it up the stairs as opposed to using transporters."

Elizabeth sat forward again, loving the way her command staff grinned at the prospect of beating the Secret Santa at his own game. "Okay. Let's do this."

oOo

Carson arrived at Teyla's quarters precisely at seven that evening. He'd looked forward to this dinner since Teyla had asked him this morning, though he'd secretly hoped she didn't cook. While he was falling in love with her, he wasn't above admitting that cooking was not her forte.

Teyla answered his entry request wearing the same thing she'd worn to the Christmas party. She smiled at him as he took his time absorbing everything about her. Her hair rested on her shoulders, and she stepped back to invite him inside. He stepped through the door. "You look lovely."

Her eyes flickered to a spot above his head. "And you look wonderful, too, Carson."

Concerned by the obvious distraction above him, he glanced up and blinked. The mistletoe from the Christmas party hung above her door. He turned to see a mischievous smile gracing her features. "Teyla?"

She raised an eyebrow. "I believe the tradition calls for a kiss under the mistletoe?"

He couldn't help the chuckle that escaped. "Aye, that it does."

As she moved toward him, Carson slipped his hand alongside her face and gently kissed her. He was careful of her bruised jaw, resulting in her surprising him by deepening the kiss. By the time he eased back, she was fully in his arms and had totally distracted him from his intentions to keep things proper. Teyla also struggled to control her breathing, and the smile she gave him was nothing short of incredible.

Rather than following through on the ideas in his head, Carson glanced around. Teyla had done a number on her quarters, transforming it into a beautiful retreat that was both Athosian and yet familiar to him. The table she'd found was set much like he remembered from home, and she'd found a way to bring a tiny Christmas tree into the room. No gifts were under it, but the fiber-optic ends of the branches changed color and lent the room a festive look. "Teyla, this looks wonderful."

"Thank you." She slipped out of his grip and headed for the table. "I spoke with the cook today and asked for something special. I'm not certain how good it will be, but I wanted to give you something that reminded you of home."

Carson blinked when she lifted the cover off of the main dish. Then, he laughed. "You had them make haggis?" he asked, delighted.

She smiled. "You are pleased?"

"Aye!" He met her eyes. "Just dinner was great, but this. . . ." He looked around and then turned back to her. "Thank you, love."

Teyla's smile reappeared then, and they both settled at the table. He served the haggis and was pleasantly surprised at how well it turned out since most of the ingredients had come from the mainland. Teyla also enjoyed the meal, saying it wasn't something she could eat all the time but quite liked. Carson told her about the Burns supper and the different traditions surrounding it. By the end of the evening, they'd shared various aspects of their culture with Teyla also serving a traditional Athosian treat as dessert. They stayed at the table long after they'd finished eating, simply talking and enjoying one another's company.

Finally, Carson let out a deep breath. "I wanted to ask ye about somethin' since you helped me with it." He met her eyes. "The gifts we wrapped. I needed to deliver them. Did you want to do the Secret Santa thing that has swept the base?"

She took a moment to consider it. "I believe that, while the Secret Santa is an incredible idea, we should merely give them to their recipients from you."

He reached over and took her hand in his. "From us, love," he said softly. "You also helped."

She turned her hand so that she could lace their fingers together. "I must admit that I like the idea of 'us,' Carson. I know that. . . ." She glanced away as she composed her thoughts. "Many would think I am moving too quickly after Charin's death, that I should take time to properly mourn for her. But something you said leads me to believe that she would want me to find happiness more than she would want for me to grieve."

He smiled and glanced down at that. "I'm glad you think so."

"What of you?"

He stared at their hands, at the difference in skin tones and how their fingers seemed to fit perfectly together. "I love the idea of everyone knowin' what we have." Meeting her eyes, he decided to be brutally honest. "Laura and I, while we were together, were never suited to one another. She stayed in hopes that we could find more common ground between us. But she had certain desires for her future, while I had desires for mine. And they were completely opposite. With you. . . ." He smiled. "It's different."

"I agree." Teyla smiled. "And I am glad you feel that way."

Later, as he left her quarters, he didn't even use the excuse of the mistletoe. He pulled her close for another searing kiss and then left before he was tempted to do more than that. He did glance back, however, and was rewarded with one of her incredible smiles. He returned to his quarters and dropped into his chair. He was one lucky man!

~TBC


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note:** Well, folks, here it is: the revelation of the Secret Santa. :) I hope you've enjoyed this story, as well as this wonderful Christmas holiday. There are more stories in the works, and I hope to have the first one up within the next couple of weeks. To Linda: the website removed the address you sent, so I apologize for not responding personally. I am glad you've enjoyed _both_ stories, though. :) Now, on with this final chapter...~lg

oOo

"Ouch!"

"Move it!"

"I'm trying! This thing is heavy!"

"Yeah? Well, try thinking of how heavy it's gonna be when I _drop_ this end 'cause I can't reach around the corner like that!"

"Oh, ha, ha."

"Seriously, McKay! _Move_!"

"I already told you I'm _trying_! The stupid tree is _stuck_!"

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is."

"Okay, boys, settle down." Elizabeth frowned at their dilemma. It was just past five in the morning, and all of them were sleep-deprived from staying up too late. Sheppard and McKay looked ready to throttle one another while Ronon and Lorne appeared utterly amused. They had just over two hours to get the tree, its decorations, and all of their plans into the infirmary before Carson showed up for his duty shift. Since they'd planned a Christmas morning in the infirmary, Cole had emailed Carson to let him know that he'd be allowed to return to active duty that day. Now, Lorne stood with his hands on his hips as he surveyed their dilemma.

Just as John had said, the Christmas tree was stuck. They'd managed to find a way to move it with most of its decorations still attached though somewhat jostled about. Elizabeth shook her head and ran a hand through her hair. She'd wanted to sleep late today, but the thrill of playing Secret Santa for the Secret Santa was something she couldn't pass up. Carson had put a lot of thought into his gifts, and she hoped he'd be thrilled with the simple yet child-like way they'd decided to thank him.

Ronon solved their problem. He stepped up to the middle of the tree and crouched so that his shoulder was underneath the heavy end. Lorne saw what he was doing and pointed at McKay. "Grab that end."

Then, with John's help, heavy end of the tree was lifted. McKay squealed while Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief. How embarrassing would it have been to have Carson come around the corner to see their surprise spread out in the middle of the corridor. A random image of all the gifts they'd collected for one another scattered about on either side of the barricade floated through her head. The addition of the team sprawled out, enjoying coffee, tea, and whatever else they managed to rustle up made her want to giggle. Instead, she rushed to help Rodney catch his end of the Christmas tree as it came loose and rounded the corner.

Cole waited for them in the infirmary, already having cleared an area for the tree. Thankful that the Ancients had favored soaring ceilings, Elizabeth straightened ornaments after the men got the tree positioned in place. Now, it was time for all the gifts and the music.

She grinned. For once, she felt like a child and absolutely couldn't wait for this day to begin.

oOo

Someone had stolen the Christmas tree. Teyla blinked at the large empty spot in the mess hall. Last night, during their conversation, Carson had told her that the tree would not be removed until _after_ today. Where could it have gone, especially since she'd wanted to reclaim the necklace that she'd used as a decoration?

Others were also staring at the empty spot, telling her that someone higher up must have swiped the tree and its accoutrements. She sincerely hoped to find it soon, because she needed that necklace. Last night, after Carson left her quarters, she'd decided that she would wear it that day. It was Christmas, after all, and called for something special. And Carson would understand the significance. He had given her something happier to think about in recent days, and she hoped he continued to do so as the weeks and months passed by.

Teyla gathered her breakfast and settled into the same chair she'd occupied when she first invited him to dinner. Last night had been a success in her eyes. Carson's ability to make any story funny, as well as the way his eyes sparkled when they turned to her, had only completed the night. For her, the highlight was how pleased he was to admit that they shared something incredibly special.

She sensed more than heard him approach. Turning in her chair, she smiled when Carson slid a hand along her shoulder. "Good morning."

"Hello, love." He played with the ends of her hair for a moment before looking around. "Where are the others?"

"I do not know." She shifted in her chair. "Until you arrived, I thought I had missed an important meeting."

"Not that I know of." Carson frowned. "I got an email late last night that I can return to duty today. But, other than that. . . ."

His frown only solidified that something wasn't quite right. Teyla reached for her radio. "Colonel Sheppard, this is Teyla. Come in."

After a moment, John's voice came over the radio, sounding slightly breathless. "This is Sheppard."

"John, have we missed a mission briefing?"

"No." After a moment's pause, Sheppard came back on the line. "Oh! You're talking about breakfast! Uh. . .something came up, and we'll have to meet up later."

"Is everything okay?" Teyla asked.

"Yeah, everything's fine." John's voice was a bit too nonchalant for her liking. She signed off of the radio and frowned at Carson, who looked just as confused as she did.

"He says something came up." Teyla shrugged. "It appears that breakfast will simply be you and I."

A smile that always thrilled Teyla crossed his face, and he reached for her hand. "In that case. . . ."

She laughed as she laced their fingers together. Life was good, and she loved the idea of having this man at her side from now on.

oOo

After sharing breakfast, Carson regretfully pushed to his feet. Teyla followed him, and he smiled at her. "I'll be in the infirmary if you need me."

She nodded. "Would it be okay if I walked with you?"

"Och, aye!" He emptied his tray and headed for the door. "You don't ever have to ask."

"Good." She slipped her hand back into his, and Carson tried to follow her light chatter as they walked. A few security personnel gave them a surprised glance, and he grinned at the congratulatory yet downcast expressions he received.

The infirmary door appeared far too soon, and Carson was tempted to invite Teyla to his office for coffee. But she had her own duties for the day, and he would need to read over reports. She mentioned needing to speak with Amanda and Marie about the women's self-defense class, and he stood back to let her precede him through the door.

"_Merry Christmas!"_ The shout echoed through the infirmary, and Carson blinked in shock. The Christmas tree from the mess hall stood where three beds had once been, gifts in a variety of wrapping paper spilling out from beneath it. Sheppard, McKay, Ronon, Lorne, Cole, Marie, Radek, and Elizabeth all looked smug as they watched his jaw drop. A glance at Teyla told him she was just as flabbergasted as he was, only she responded much more gracefully.

Finally finding his voice, Carson stepped forward. "What's this, then?"

Elizabeth moved toward him with a smile. "We just wanted to say thank you and thought that this," she paused to motion around her, "would be the best way to do that."

Carson frowned. "Elizabeth, while I'm flattered, what would you be thankin' me for?"

She smiled as if she knew a secret he should have known. "For Christmas. For bringing Christmas to the base."

Carson glanced at Teyla, seeing that she was just as confused as he was. Rather than commenting, however, he allowed himself to get pulled into the chattering group. They absorbed the shocked pair and overruled them when they resisted sitting down. Teyla got her way, however, when she headed for the tree and found the necklace Halling had given to her. Carson straightened, knowing the significance of the jewelry. She carried it back to her chair, her face serene as she settled down next to him.

When the conversation focused on Rodney for a moment, Teyla turned to Carson. "Would you mind helping me?" she asked softly as she held up the necklace.

Carson met her eyes, understanding what she offered. She had once told him that she needed something to smile about after Charin's death. He had wondered if she would ever wear the necklace or keep it as a very special memento. Now, he picked it up and gently draped it around her neck. If anyone noticed how he fumbled with the clasp and how inherently romantic and intimate the action seemed, no one said anything.

As the necklace settled firmly in place, Teyla smiled. "Something happy to remember, Carson. And I want to always remember these moments."

"Aye, they're good ones," he agreed. Seeing Rodney empty the travel mug he'd received from the Secret Santa, Carson pushed to his feet. "Give me a few moments, and I'll make some coffee."

The offer was met with cheers, so Carson headed for his office. He smiled as he listened to the chatter around the Christmas tree. He should tell them that he wasn't the Secret Santa, but he didn't want to ruin the happiness. Ronon was already bugging everyone about the presents, and McKay grouched that the least they could do was wait for Carson.

In his office, Carson headed for the sideboard where he kept his coffee pot, but something on his desk caught his eye. Or, rather, leaning against his desk. He frowned at the bright red package with white Santas on it. Picking it up, he immediately identified it as a fishing pole and knew it would be the very one he was eying the last time he'd taken a few moments to consider his hobby. After all, the Secret Santa had known just what to get for everyone else. Why not for him?

oOo

Rodney frowned as Ronon asked, yet again, if they could open the presents. Figuring that he'd light a fire under Carson, he pushed to his feet and headed for the doctor's office. Carson stood inside, staring at something on his desk, and McKay stepped forward. Then, he blinked.

Carson was holding the last of the Secret Santa gifts, something obviously meant for the Scot. Rodney's eyes widened, and he realized they'd gotten everything all wrong.

oOo

_He grinned as he watched a very shocked McKay and Beckett return to the Christmas tree. It didn't matter to him that no one had figured out who he was. After all, that was his goal. By "framing" Beckett, he'd effectively thrown the suspicion off of himself. He slipped away from the group and headed for the door._

In the corridor, Radek Zelenka smiled. He had set out to make Christmas for a lot of people. In doing so, he'd been given something in return. Oh, it wasn't tangible like the fishing pole he'd bought for Carson or the coffee pot he snuck into McKay's quarters to deliver. But it was well worth the money spent, extra trips to both the gate room and infirmary, and the worry of being discovered. His friends were smiling, laughing, and enjoying themselves. The Christmas tree in the infirmary likely wouldn't happen again, but simply seeing the way Beckett's eyes sparkled at Teyla and how Sheppard grinned like a little kid had made every bit of this entire mission a success.

With his Secret Santa work done, Radek headed for his lab and buried himself in his simulations.

~The End~


End file.
